The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has reported an incident involving an attack on the religious freedom of the highest authority of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land: the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Although Cardinal Pizzaballa complied with the instructions of the Israeli authorities, the police prevented him from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and for that reason, the Palm Sunday Mass could not be celebrated. The reason mentioned was security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran. However, he did celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives. In his message during Mass, he said ‘Today Jesus weeps once more over Jerusalem. He weeps over this city, which remains a sign of both hope and sorrow, of grace and suffering. He weeps over this Holy Land, still unable to recognize the gift of peace. He weeps for all the victims of a war that seems without end: for divided families, for shattered hopes. But the tears of Jesus are never fruitless. They open our eyes, challenge us, and reveal the truth. We are certain that the Crucified and Risen One does not cease to walk among us: even when the road is blocked, He dwells in the heart of those who have not stopped following Him. Yet precisely in this imposed silence, the liturgy becomes more authentic. The cry of “Hosanna” does not need branches to rise to heaven, and faith does not falter when outward rites are stripped away. At the very moment when death appears to triumph, truth is revealed, love is manifested, and salvation is accomplished. The peace Jesus offers is a peace that comes from a God who gives himself completely and has no need of force or weapons. May our journey of faith, even today, be a journey of hope. And may our lives, even amid the harshness of the present moment, bring the love of Christ and his light wherever darkness seems to prevail." The traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives to the church of the Holy Sepulcher was cancelled.
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