For the first time in centuries, Catholic religious leaders were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.
Jerusalem police blocked the Church clergy from entering the holy site. The Latin Patriarchate described the move as “absurd and flagrantly disproportionate,” highlighting in particular that the Cardinal and Custos — who hold the highest ecclesiastical authority for the Catholic Church and the Holy Land — were denied entry to the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified.
The current Home Front Command guidelines only permit gatherings of up to 50 people if there is a bomb shelter nearby that can be reached in time. It is unclear whether such a space exists near the Holy Sepulchre.
The Latin Patriarch of Jersualem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa had outlined in a letter how Holy Week and Easter services were expected to be conducted amid the war.
The letter was issued by the supreme authority of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land and was published under the title Jerusalem: Holy Week Behind Closed Doors. It detailed the instructions and restrictions that would apply during the Easter period and ultimately aimed to ensure the safety and spiritual unity of the faithful.
During a Palm Sunday mass on Sunday in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo rebuked political leaders who wage war, saying God rejects the prayers of those who “stain their hands with blood,” and that the name of Jesus must not be invoked to justify violence or armed conflict.
Source: Tovima
