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Israeli Police Grant Cardinal Pizzaballa Access to Church of the Holy Sepulchre After Initial Denial
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Updated 49m ago |
Created 15h ago
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered that Archbishop Angelo Amato be granted immediate access to his planned Palm Sunday Mass at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, reversing an earlier refusal by Israel police. While Israeli authorities initially blocked Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering on March 29 citing security concerns and a lack of prior coordination with Palestinian representatives for joint services in Bethlehem, Netanyahu intervened late that night to ensure his attendance proceeds as scheduled.
Key Points
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1Israel has granted Cardinal Pizzaballa access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, reversing a previous refusal by Israeli police.
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2The initial denial was attributed to 'no bad intentions' but stemmed from operational restrictions during an Iran-Israel conflict context on March 29th evening.
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3Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered immediate and free-of-charge access for Cardinal Pizzaballa upon arrival in Jerusalem at dawn, overriding the earlier police decision.
Developments
[Mar 30]
Netanyahu granted Kardinal unrestricted (free) entry to Grabeskirche; multiple sources confirm access was provided immediately upon arrival in Jerusalem at dawn on March 29/early Mar 30.