Holy Week Cancelled in Jerusalem

Holy Week Cancelled in Jerusalem


Israeli police blocked senior Catholic leaders from entering Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on March 29, 2026, preventing them from celebrating a private Palm Sunday Mass, according to church officials and media reports. The leaders included Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Catholic authorities said the incident marked the first time in centuries that top church leaders were unable to conduct Palm Sunday services at the site, one of Christianity’s holiest locations. The planned service was limited to a small number of clergy and was not open to the public. (Associated Press, March 29, 2026)

Israeli authorities said the decision was based on security concerns tied to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, citing missile threats, limited shelter availability and restricted emergency access in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem criticized the move, calling it “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure” and saying it impeded freedom of worship.

The incident drew international criticism from U.S. and European officials over religious freedom concerns. Following the backlash, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed authorities to allow access to the church.

Ashe in America: Christians all over the world expressed unified outraged over the weekend as Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to conduct a private Mass.

“Who do you think you are” vibes for real.

As we discussed in recent Briefs, the closing of this church didn’t really happen prior to Covid and 2020 — the global transformational change event that many have theorized was a luciferian ritual/sacrifice/transformation. It’s compelling. Consider:

2020. COVID-19 pandemic: Church closed to the public during Holy Week for the first time in modern history under health restrictions.

2021. COVID partial reopening: Limited access, reduced pilgrimages, controlled attendance for Palm Sunday and Holy Week services.

2022. Security restrictions / crowd controls: Israeli police imposed entry limits in the Old City; Palm Sunday access constrained though church remained open.

2023. Escalating tensions / police restrictions: Barriers and controlled entry into the Old City reduced Palm Sunday attendance and access to the church.

2024. Ongoing war-related security posture: Significantly reduced pilgrimages; access limited due to broader regional conflict, though not formally “closed.”

From what I can find, at no point were the Church leaders denied access or prevented from holding Mass — ever, let alone during Christianity’s most Holy Week.

That’s new. That’s where we are now.

And it’s so egregious, even Mike Huckabee had to rebuke it.

“For the Patriarch to be barred from entry to the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify. Israel has indicated it will work with the Patriarch to accommodate a safe means of carrying out Holy Week activities.”

His whole statement is here, and it’s funny because it sounds like he is offering COVID-like restrictions as a plea for Israel to back down.

“Home Front Command Guidelines restrict any gatherings to 50 people or less. The 4 representatives of the Catholic Church were well below that restriction.”

In Italy, the leaders were much bolder, amplifying the sentiments of Christians everywhere:

“The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a sacred site of Christianity and, as such, must be preserved and protected for the celebration of sacred rites,” Italian President Giorgia Meloni said. “Preventing the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land from entering, especially on a solemnity central to the faith such as Palm Sunday, constitutes an offence not only against believers but against every community that recognises religious freedom.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “said holy sites belonging to Christian, Jewish and Muslim worshippers and been ‘repeatedly targeted’ by Iranian missile strikes in recent days. ‘In one strike, missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,’ he said in a statement shared on X, adding that Sunday’s decision involved ‘no malicious intent whatsoever. ‘As a result, Israel has temporarily asked worshippers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City to protect them.”

The list above feels like a guided progression, and we’re living its seventh year…

No big deal — Israel just cancelled Holy Week for Christians, “for your safety.”

It’s a good time to watch episode 3 of season 3 of The Chosen. That’s the episode that Ghost and I are reviewing on this week’s episode of The Choice (Thursday at 11aET), and Ghost and I were discussing on Sunday how there is no more perfect episode for this Holiest of Weeks.

Hosanna!

GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: A deeply concerning pattern has emerged in Jerusalem. First, the Israeli government imposed a property tax on Church properties for the first time in its history—going back centuries; When the Church refused to pay, the government froze their bank accounts. Then the government began restricting access to the Holy Sepulchre Church; Now they are blocking the Cardinal and clergy from entering the site on Palm Sunday.

Not even the Muslims, who controlled Jerusalem for centuries, ever imposed a property tax or blocked the clergy from entering the Church. Probably because they knew if they did, it would start a Holy War.

It could not be more obvious that the Israeli government despises Christians and rebukes Jesus. What disgusts me the most is that Christian Zionists will trip all over themselves to make excuses for why this is perfectly acceptable. Their priorities are so deeply out of whack, they will likely end up betraying Christ and siding with the secular government of Israel before this is all said and done. The levels of brainwashing and conditioning are on par—or perhaps worse—with the most radicalized leftists. What a disgrace.