Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other major holy sites were closed on Palm Sunday under Israeli wartime restrictions, disrupting one of Christianity’s holiest observances as the Iran war entered its fifth week.

The Catholic Church rebuked the police decision as "a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure."

Israeli police lamented the war restrictions limiting worship and acknowledged the need to "balance freedom" with "public safety."

"Under Home Front Command directives, life-saving restrictions apply to all holy sites in the Old City — for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike," Israeli police posted to X, responding to an outcry on religious freedom in a video statement. "The Old City has been targeted by murderous missiles multiple times this month, alongside constant fire on residential areas."

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"These threats do not discriminate between religions, and neither does our duty to protect you," the statement continued. "We are in active dialogue with religious leaders, including an upcoming meeting with the Patriarch, to examine solutions that balance freedom of worship with public safety."

The Latin Patriarchate said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo were stopped by Israeli police while trying to reach the church privately to celebrate Mass, after the traditional Palm Sunday procession had already been canceled.

Israel President Isaac Herzog called the restricted worshipers to "express my great sorrow over this morning's unfortunate incident."

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"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," he wrote Sunday on X. "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."

The Italian government rebuked what it called an "offense" on "religious freedom" in the Holy Land.

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"The Italian government expresses closeness to Cardinal Pizzaballa, Father Ielpo and the religious who have been prevented today by the Israeli authorities from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass in the Holy Sepulchre," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote in a statement. "The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a sacred place of Christianity, and as such to be preserved and protected for the celebration of sacred rites. Preventing the entry of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Keeper of the Holy Land, moreover in a central solemnity for the faith such as Palm Sunday, constitutes an offense not only for believers, but for every community that recognizes religious freedom."

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The Latin Patriarchate said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been hosting Masses that are not open to the public since the Iran war began Feb. 28, and it was unclear why Sunday’s Mass and access by the two priests was any different.

"It’s a very, very sacred day for Christians and in our opinion there was no justification for such a decision or such an action," Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem spokesperson Farid Jubran said.

The church had requested permission from the police, he added, for a few religious leaders to enter the church for a private Mass on Sunday — not one that was open to the public.

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Pope Leo XIV, at the end of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, prayed for all Christians in the Middle East who he said were living through an "atrocious" conflict. He said, "in many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days," though he did not elaborate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday evening that there was no "malicious intent" and that the cardinal was prevented from accessing the church because of safety concerns, but that Israel would try to partially open the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

"Given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world’s Christians, Israel’s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days," Netanyahu wrote on X.

The Western Wall, a holy site for Jews, is also mostly closed because of safety issues, but authorities are letting up to 50 people at a time pray in an enclosed area adjacent to the plaza.

Smaller churches, synagogues and mosques are open in Jerusalem’s Old City if they are located within a certain distance of a bomb shelter deemed acceptable by Israel’s military and, if gatherings are kept under 50 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

People Leo XIV on Saturday announced the appointment of the Vatican’s new ambassador, Apostolic Nuncio, to the U.S. to help manage strained relations with the Trump administration.

Italian Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, 68, a veteran Vatican diplomat who is currently ambassador to the United Nations, previously served as ambassador to the Philippines and Lebanon.

Caccia is replacing 80-year-old Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who is retiring.

"I receive this mission with both joy and a sense of trepidation," Caccia said after the appointment, according to the Vatican News. He added that his mission was "at the service of communion and peace," remembering that 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S.

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The pope and President Donald Trump have been at odds over key issues for the White House, including immigration and the war in Iran.

Pierre's ambassadorship was also at times at odds with the more conservative U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops while representing Pope Francis’ more progressive priorities.

"Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic and responsible dialogue," the American-born pope said Sunday after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, according to the outlet Chicago Catholic.

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"Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss."

In early January, Leo also delivered a major policy speech, mostly in English, after the U.S. military action in Venezuela.

"War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading," the pope warned in the speech.

Trump called it a "great honor for our country" when Leo was elected pope last May after Pope Francis’ death. When asked about Leo’s remarks earlier this year seemingly pressing him on policy, Trump told Politico he hadn’t seen the statements from the pontiff, but "I’m sure he’s a lovely man."

He also said he had met with the pope’s brother, who he called "serious MAGA."

Last fall, the pope suggested that supporting the "inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States" is not "pro-life," leaving White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to "reject there was inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States under this administration."

Leavitt, who is Catholic, added that the administration always tries to be as humane as possible while enforcing laws.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, current president of the U.S. conference, said after Caccia’s appointment, "On behalf of my brother bishops, I wish to extend our warmest welcome and our prayerful support to him as he carries out his responsibilities across the United States."

Trump won 59% of the Catholic vote in the 2024 election, according to Politico.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Leo XIV this week said he "can’t" comment on the 20-year sentence imposed on a democracy activist in Hong Kong. 

"I can’t comment," the American-born Leo told EWTN News, which covers Catholic news globally, while speaking to reporters in Italy. 

"Let’s pray for less hatred and more peace and work for authentic dialogue. God bless you all." 

Hong Kong publisher and democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who is a converted Catholic, was sentenced to 20 years by Beijing last month for violating its 2020 national security law, which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called "unjust and tragic."

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"The conviction shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong," Rubio said in a statement. "The United States urges the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole."

The 78-year-old founded the now-closed Hong Kong-based Apple Daily in 1995, while the island was still under British rule. 

Lai’s sentence closed one of the country’s most consequential national security cases since Beijing imposed the sweeping new law in 2020 after months-long anti-Chinese Communist Party protests in 2019, which were sparked by fears Beijing was eroding Hong Kong’s promised autonomy. 

They were followed by a sweeping security crackdown that criminalized dissent and reshaped the city’s legal system.

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Lai was arrested several times during the 2019 protests, and he was detained at his home in 2020. His newspaper was also raided at the time and closed. 

He was found guilty in December of attempting to undermine national security. 

President Donald Trump said in December he had personally urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to release Lai. 

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"I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release," Trump said. "He’s not well. He’s an older man, and he’s not well, so I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens."