EU Condemns Israel’s Blocking of Patriarch from Jerusalem Church

(MENAFN) The European Union has expressed serious concern over Israel’s decision to prevent the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, describing the action as a “violation of religious freedom.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated on social media, “The decision by Israeli police to bar Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday constitutes a violation of religious freedom and long-standing protections governing holy sites.”

She stressed that freedom of worship in Jerusalem must be fully guaranteed “without exception, for all faiths,” and emphasized that “Jerusalem's multi-religious character must be protected.”

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, was stopped while traveling privately to the church and “compelled to turn back.” The patriarchate noted this marked the first time in centuries that church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity’s most sacred sites.

Israeli authorities have also continued to restrict access for Muslims to Friday prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, keeping the site closed for the fourth consecutive week under emergency measures linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

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