Police to meet Latin Patriarch after stopping him from reaching Holy Sepulchre

After Israeli police stopped the two most senior Catholic figures in the Holy Land from reaching Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday this morning, the Foreign Ministry says that the police will meet with Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa to find solutions while ensuring safety.

“All safety and precautionary instructions in the Old City are a direct result of Iranian missile fire,” says the Foreign Ministry in a statement. “As is known, the Iranian regime has fired on the Old City on multiple occasions, striking sites in the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall.”

“In light of this, and in order to protect the lives of worshipers of all faiths, precautionary instructions have been issued for all holy sites of all religions, and mass gatherings are not possible,” it continues. “The concern over a mass-casualty event in the Old City is particularly acute given the area’s density and the difficulty of deploying first responders in such an incident.”

“The police will meet with Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and work to explore solutions that allow for as normal a routine as possible while ensuring public safety.”