NEW: Cardinal Pizzaballa on Palm Sunday after he was blocked from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
"This Palm Sunday afternoon, we gather without a procession, without palms, waving through the streets."
"This absence is not merely a matter of form or weather. It's the war that has interrupted our festive journey, making even the simple joy of following our King difficult..."
"We are certain that the Crucified and the 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..."
H/t @CatholicSat
Pizzaballa @TV2000it: "It is true that the police had said that the orders from the internal command prevented any kind of gathering in places where there is no shelter, but we had not asked for anything public, just a brief and small private ceremony to preserve the idea of the celebration in the Holy Sepulchre. There were no clashes; everything was done in a very polite manner. I do not want to force the issue; we want to use this situation to try to clarify better in the coming days what to do, in respect for everyone's safety but also in respect for the right to prayer."
Source: @matteomatzuzzi
“I just called the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to express my great sorrow over this morning's unfortunate incident in the Old City of Jerusalem, in which Cardinal Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for prayers amid the ongoing security situation.
“I clarified that the incident stemmed from security concerns due to the continuous threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terror regime against the civilian population in Israel, following previous incidents in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem in recent days.
“I reaffirmed the State of Israel's unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and to upholding the status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem.”
@Isaac_Herzog
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