Cardinal Parolin, Israeli ambassador discuss incident at Church of the Holy Sepulchre

March 31, 2026

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, met with Yaron Sideman, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, to discuss the Israeli police’s decision to bar the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently announced he would permit Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch, to enter the church. The Church in the Holy Land confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Israeli police.

During the meeting on March 30—at which Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, was also present—“regret was expressed over what happened, clarifications were provided, and note was taken of the agreement reached between the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the local authorities regarding participation in the liturgies of the Easter Triduum at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

“I am glad that the matter has been resolved swiftly and efficiently, in a manner that maintains freedom of worship while protecting human life,” Ambassador Sideman said in a social media post.

 

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Further information:

• Cardinal Parolin meets Israel’s ambassador, expresses regret over Holy Sepulchre incident (Vatican News, 3/30/26)
• Church in the Holy Land confirms agreement with Israeli police permitting access to Church of the Holy Sepulchre (CWN, 3/31/26)
• Israel denies Cardinal Pizzaballa access to Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then backtracks (CWN, 3/30/26)