During Holy Week, Catholics celebrate Mass at Holy Sepulchre without believers
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Photo: lpj.org
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated the Mass of "the Lord's Supper" at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on April 2, 2026. As reported by the press service of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, the service was held without the participation of believers.
Cardinal Pizzaballa, accompanied by a small group of Catholic priests, was granted permission to conduct the service on Holy Thursday of Holy Week.
"Due to restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and for their own safety because of the ongoing conflict with Iran, believers were not allowed to be present at the place where our Lord rose from the dead," the statement said.
In his sermon, the Catholic hierarch noted: "We cannot ignore the tension: outside, the doors of the Holy Sepulchre are closed. War has turned this place into a refuge, an 'interior' cut off from the 'exterior,' burdened with fear and tension."
As the UOJ wrote, after EU pressure, Netanyahu gave instructions to allow the RCC into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Read also
Stamp featuring Romanian cathedral enters Guinness World Records
Experts have recognized the Romanian stamp featuring the National Cathedral as the longest in the world.
TRC abducts rector of community in Sutkivtsi, Khmelnytskyi region
Archpriest Volodymyr Stefanyshyn has already been taken to a military training ground.
Church celebrates feast of Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul
On July 12, the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Apostles' Fast (Peter's Fast) comes to an end for Orthodox Christians.
UGCC cleric criticizes OCU head for awarding Greek Catholic officials
Hieromonk Yustyn Boiko of the Lviv Archeparchy called the awarding of church honors to officials a profanation and cited the example of an OCU order presented to a Greek Catholic official.
Expert who found no defamation in Dumenko’s remarks to face disciplinary action
An Interior Ministry research center has confirmed disciplinary measures against the expert whose findings supported what the Metropolitan’s representatives described as unfounded accusations by the OCU head against Metropolitan Theodosiy.
European Parliament condemns forced Islamization of children in Pakistan
The European Parliament has called on Pakistan to establish a mechanism to protect Christian families.