Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney openly expressed his disappointment after Israeli police stopped Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday.
Carney posted on X, saying “These actions further violate the longstanding status quo of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites.” He stressed that people of every faith in Jerusalem should be able to worship “freely, fully, and without fear.”
This was the first time in centuries that church leaders were stopped from marking Palm Sunday at one of Christianity’s holiest sites. Church authorities said they were planning a private Mass to begin Holy Week, but police cited security concerns, pointing to Iranian missile strikes targeting Jerusalem’s Old City.
Netanyahu defended the action, saying the cardinal had been asked not to enter for his own safety, noting that missile fragments had landed “meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.”
According to BBC, the Patriarchate released a strong statement calling the incident “a grave precedent” and described the decision as “hasty and fundamentally flawed,” saying it was “an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.” Cardinal Pizzaballa later said he did not want to “force the issue” and had only asked for “a brief and small private ceremony.” He hoped to use the situation to clarify things for the future.
Western leaders condemned Israel’s actions, calling the move an unjustifiable overreach against religious freedom
The incident drew sharp criticism from several Western leaders. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee called it an “unfortunate overreach” that was “difficult to understand or justify,” since the clergymen were attempting a private entry. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was “an offense not only against believers but against every community that recognises religious freedom.”
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned it as well, highlighting “the worrying increase in violations of the status of the Holy Places in Jerusalem” and insisting that “Freedom to hold religious rites in Jerusalem must be ensured for all religions.”
Pope Leo XIV, speaking in Rome, paid tribute to “the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days.” Analysts have also been watching Netanyahu’s broader regional ambitions, including oil and gas routes through Israel, as part of understanding his decisions during this conflict.
It is also worth noting that Israeli authorities had been barring Muslims from Friday prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest mosque in Islam, for the fourth consecutive week. The site had been closed since late February under emergency measures linked to the war with Iran.
The US State Department acknowledged the “difficult security conditions in Jerusalem that have arisen from Iran’s ongoing, indiscriminate missile attacks” but still encouraged Israel “to facilitate the safe observance of Holy Week.”
Carney, who has recently made headlines for challenging US positions on Arctic security, said he was pleased to hear that Israeli President Isaac Herzog had contacted Cardinal Pizzaballa directly to express “great sorrow” over the incident and reaffirm Israel’s commitment to religious freedom.
Late Sunday night, Netanyahu announced that he had instructed authorities to grant the Latin Patriarch “full and immediate access” to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre so he can “hold services as he wishes.” This was a quick reversal following the wave of international criticism over the initial decision.
Published: Mar 30, 2026 05:15 am