Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision to prevent the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, one of the holiest ceremonies on the Christian calendar.

According to Anadolu Agency, Macron expressed his disapproval of the Israeli police’s action on the US social media platform X, stating, “I condemn this decision by the Israeli police, which adds to the worrying increase in violations of the status of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites.” Macron further emphasized his support for the patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, asserting that “The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions.”

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem released a statement indicating that Pizzaballa, along with the custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, was stopped while heading privately to the church and ‘compelled to turn back.’ This incident marks the first time in centuries that church leaders have been prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, a site revered as one of the most sacred in Christianity.