This Wednesday, Jewish families across Israel and the world will gather around their Seder tables for Passover and commemorate the Angel of Death passing over their homes in Egypt. This year, a similar Angel of Death appeared – this one metallic, launched from Iran, and carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives.
It is against the backdrop of war that Sunday saw the blowup of an international incident.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, was stopped by the Israel Police on Sunday morning before he could enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, marking the week leading up to Easter.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was quick to exploit the incident as a historic outrage. It was the first time in centuries that church leaders had been prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the site, it said. Foreign embassies requested explanations. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israel publicly, and the Italian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador.
One might have thought a war was being fought against Christianity. In fact, in case the patriarch was not aware, a war is being fought against Iran.
The police had legitimate grounds for their decision. The Old City’s labyrinthine streets make access for emergency vehicles genuinely difficult, and Home Front Command restrictions have been in place across Jerusalem since Iranian missiles began falling.
Those restrictions apply universally. The Western Wall Plaza, the Temple Mount, and holy sites of every faith have all faced curtailed access. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was not specifically targeted; it faces the same threats as the rest of the city. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said it best on Monday, tweeting: “ALL holy sites have restrictions due to Iranian missiles and safety issues.”
When the police make a call about public safety in a warren of alleys where a single mass-casualty incident could overwhelm emergency services, that judgment deserves a degree of deference from those affected, not an immediate international press offensive.
Patriarchate’s reaction to incident
That is where Pizzaballa’s initial response deserves some scrutiny. The Patriarchate’s statement was released with remarkable speed and with maximum volume, describing the police decision as a “grave precedent,” a violation of “basic principles of reasonableness,” and a measure “tainted by improper considerations.”
For what? For being stopped, briefly on one morning, from entering a church in a city that is, by any measure, operating under wartime conditions. He was not arrested or harmed. He was asked to turn back, and he did.
Since October 2023, Israelis have complied with Home Front Command restrictions that have upended daily life. Weddings have moved indoors, some schools have been shuttered for more than a month, and public gatherings have been minimized.
The expectation that a senior church official should be exempt from the same restrictions because it is a liturgically significant week reflects a certain assumption of exceptionalism that, in the current climate, is difficult to justify.
To the Patriarchate’s credit, the joint statement issued Monday with the Custody of the Holy Land struck a considerably more measured tone.
Gone was the language of historic violation and improper considerations; in its place was an acknowledgment of coordination with the relevant authorities, gratitude to President Isaac Herzog for his prompt intervention, and a recognition that “existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in force” given the state of war.
The statement also extended appreciation to the foreign heads of state who intervened, while reaffirming the Church’s commitment to “dialogue, mutual respect, and the preservation of the Status Quo.” That is the appropriate register for a wartime dispute resolved within 24 hours.
Israel acknowledged the error quickly. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered full and immediate access for Pizzaballa on Sunday night. By Monday, the police and the Patriarchate had reached a working agreement for church representatives to conduct Holy Week liturgies at the site.
Huckabee thanked Netanyahu for his personal and prompt intervention. Herzog was acknowledged, as mentioned. The issue was resolved before Holy Monday was over.
The diplomatic noise that preceded the resolution now looks a little excessive. Some perspective is needed, and the Monday joint statement, with its call for “prayer and hope for an end to the tragic war,” showed that the Church itself ultimately understood where the real story lies.
As Jews and Christians mark their respective festivals this week, the Angel of Death in the sky will remind us all, including Cardinal Pizzaballa, that we are still at war, and therefore, there are restrictions to life.
