Jerusalem holy sites closed during Passover and Holy Week — Catholic leaders hold limited prayers at Holy Sepulcher

Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa led Holy Thursday prayers at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on April 2, 2026 (D34) — without any public attendance, under a police-approved 'limited prayer framework.' Pizzaballa's words during the service: 'There is a tension we cannot ignore: outside, the doors of the Holy Sepulcher are closed. War has turned this place into a refuge, an inside cut off from an outside weighed down by tension. We are here as within a womb of peace, while the world around us is being torn apart, and we wish we could change all of this.' Restrictions: Israel's police approved a 'limited prayer framework' allowing only a number of clergymen and church staff. The rest of Holy Week will be similarly restricted. All major Jerusalem holy sites remain closed due to Iranian missile fire. International uproar: The previous Sunday, Israeli police barred Pizzaballa from the church citing safety concerns amid Iranian missile fire — triggering a significant international diplomatic incident before the limited framework was negotiated. Context: The war has coincided with both Passover (April 2 is Passover Day 1) and Holy Week (Easter Sunday is April 5). This intersection of two major religious periods with active war is historically significant. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis were forced into shelters during Passover morning due to Hezbollah's 50+ rocket barrage. Christian pilgrims from around the world are unable to access the holiest site in Christendom. Source: Times of Israel April 2 live blog (Cardinal Pizzaballa statement, 11:45 UTC).