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Raymond J. de Souza: Note to Iran — holy sites should be off-limit in war

Holy to the three Abrahamic faiths the Old City of Jerusalem must be protected

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How grave was the offence given by the Israeli police in barring the two most senior Catholic clergymen in Israel — the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos (“guardian”) of the Holy Land — from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week?

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So grave that President Isaac Herzog called the Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, within hours to express his “great sorrow” over the matter, the result of security precautions taken after Israel began its war with Iran.

Raymond J. de Souza: Note to Iran — holy sites should be off-limit in war Back to video

Christian, Jewish and Muslim holy sites in the Old City have been closed to worshippers due to the danger of Iranian missile attacks. Religious gatherings have been limited to fifty people. On Palm Sunday morning, the Patriarch and Custos, who would normally lead an immense procession and congregation, set out toward the Holy Sepulchre in a group of less than a half-dozen. They were barred nevertheless.

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