Israel prevents worshippers from marking Good Friday at Holy Sepulchre
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem led a scaled-down Good Friday ceremony at Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, amid Israeli restrictions on attendance.
Only around 15 clergy members took part in the Liturgy of the Passion of Christ inside the basilica, traditionally believed to be the site of Jesus’s crucifixion and burial.
The public were barred from attending this year’s Good Friday observances due to sweeping Israeli restrictions across occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, affecting both churches and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
A day earlier, Pierbattista Pizzaballa led Holy Thursday prayers at the same church with similarly limited attendance.
Speaking during the service, Pizzaballa highlighted rising tensions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran and restrictions on freedom of worship.
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“Outside, the doors of the Holy Sepulchre are closed,” he said. “War has turned this place into a refuge, an inside cut off from an outside weighed down by tension.”
Pizzaballa drew international attention last week after Israeli forces stopped him en route to the church for Palm Sunday prayers.
He and Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, were denied entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - a move that sparked global condemnation.
Church authorities in Jerusalem said it was the first time in centuries that senior Catholic leaders had been prevented from marking Palm Sunday at the site.
“This incident is a grave precedent, and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem,” they said.
The move drew criticism from several European countries, including France, Spain and Italy.
Following the backlash, Israeli police said they would allow a “limited prayer framework” for Good Friday and Easter.
Some Palestinian Christians, however, told Middle East Eye they expected a stronger response from church leaders.
One shopkeeper, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, said Pizzaballa should have challenged the soldiers who blocked his entry.
“He should have found a way,” the shopkeeper said. “If necessary, he should have prayed in the street.”
The shopkeeper added that the cleric had been wrong to allow the church to be drawn into negotiations with Israeli authorities over access to holy sites.
Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem since 1967 is widely regarded as illegal under international law, a position reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in 2024.
For weeks, since Israel and the US launched their assault on Iran, the Old City has been largely closed to visitors. Israeli forces have been stationed at its gates, restricting access to key religious sites.
Al-Aqsa Mosque remains closed to Muslim worshippers, as it was for much of Ramadan and during Eid al-Fitr last month.
Israeli police cite safety concerns over Iranian missile attacks. While debris from intercepted missiles has caused damage in Jerusalem, many Palestinians say the measures are aimed at tightening Israel’s control over the occupied Old City.
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