VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Following outcry from political and religious leaders for barring Catholic leaders in the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday (March 29), Israeli authorities apologized and gave them permission to worship at the church, one of Christianity’s holiest sites.
“In agreement with the Israel Police, access for representatives of the churches has been secured in order to conduct the liturgies and ceremonies and to preserve the ancient Easter traditions at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,” read a Monday (March 30) joint statement by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custodian of the Holy Land, who heads a body of Franciscan priests and brothers who tend to the region’s holy sites.
The statement emphasized that “especially in times of hardship and conflict, such as those presently endured, safeguarding freedom of worship remains a fundamental and shared duty,” adding that all religions be allowed to practice and worship. The leaders also called for an end to the “tragic war.”
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Paul Ghallagher, who oversees the Holy See’s relations with other states, met with the Isreali ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, to discuss the “unfortunate” incident on Monday.
“During the conversation, the parties expressed regret over the incident, offered clarifications and acknowledged an agreement between the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and local au …
