Shafaq News- Vatican

The Vatican summoned Israel’s ambassador after Israeli police blocked the Palm Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, preventing Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering.

According to the Patriarchate, police stopped Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, Francesco Patton, and forced them to turn back, canceling the service.

The Patriarchate described the move as unprecedented, saying church leaders had not been barred from leading Palm Sunday prayers for centuries, and called it a violation of freedom of worship and the status quo at holy sites.