EU denounces Israeli block on Latin Patriarch

2026-03-29 - 21:05

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas denounced a “violation of religious freedom” after Israel stopped the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Sepulchre. “The decision by Israeli police to bar Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday constitutes a violation of religious freedom and long-standing protections governing holy sites,” she said. “Freedom of worship in Jerusalem must be fully guaranteed, without exception, for all faiths. Jerusalem’s multi-religious character must be protected,” she added in a social media post.