Holy Week in Jerusalem Secured | Easter Celebrations to Continue at Holy Sepulchre | SG News
As Holy Week unfolds in Jerusalem, Church leaders have confirmed that Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will continue, even amid war-related restrictions and rising tensions in the region. The reassurance comes after a deeply troubling incident on March 29, when Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and a fellow friar were prevented by Israeli police from entering the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday, in what Church officials described as an unprecedented disruption to centuries-old Holy Week practice. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said he ordered authorities to restore access for the remainder of Holy Week. In response, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land confirmed that Holy Week and Easter liturgies are being coordinated with authorities, and that prayer at the Holy Places has not ceased, even where public access remains limited for security reasons. Church leaders have also emphasized that many celebrations will be available through livestreams so the faithful worldwide can unite spiritually. The restrictions come amid a dangerous regional conflict that has already affected Jerusalem’s sacred sites, including reports earlier this month of missile debris near the Holy Sepulchre and the Old City’s holy places. Yet the Church’s message remains clear: in the very place where Christ died and rose again, the light of the Resurrection will not be extinguished. Stay Updated with @SGNEWS-SG