Israeli police prevent Catholic leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at Jerusalem church

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a private Mass on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday for the first time in centuries, setting off a wave of criticism from the United States and others.

Jerusalem's major holy sites, including the church, are closed because of the ongoing Iran war, as the city has come under frequent fire from Iranian missiles.

Early Monday morning, Israel's police said it had approved a “limited prayer framework” for the church, in consultation with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

On Sunday, the Patriarchate had called the police decision to bar entry “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.” It prevented two of the church’s top religious leaders, including the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Custos of the Holy Land, from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and launches the Holy Week commemorations for Christians which culminates in Easter.

Israeli police said they had notified church authorities on Saturday that no Mass could take place on Palm Sunday because of safety considerations, the lack of access for emergency vehicles in narrow alleys of the Old City and lack of adequate shelter.

In the Monday statement, police said the new framework would aim to “enable freedom of worship.” It highlighted that restrictions at holy sites without standard protected spaces — like the cavernous church deep in a maze of tiny alleyways — are meant to “safeguard worshippers” from Iranian attacks.

Earlier this month, shrapnel from the interception of an Iranian missile fell on a rooftop just steps from the church.

However, the Latin Patriarchate said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been hosting Masses that aren't open to the public since the Iran war began on Feb. 28, and it was unclear why Sunday’s Mass and access by the two priests was any different.

“It’s a very, very sacred day for Christians and in our opinion there was no justification for such a decision or such an action,” said Farid Jubran, the spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Jubran said that the church had requested permission from police for a few religious leaders to enter the church for a private celebration on Sunday — not one that was open to the public. The Patriarchate said that the decision impeded freedom of worship and the status quo in Jerusalem.

The traditional Palm Sunday procession normally sees tens of thousands of Christians from around the world walk from the Mount of Olives down the narrow, hilly streets toward the Old City, waving palm fronds and singing.

The Patriarchate canceled the traditional processional last week because of safety concerns, and has held Masses limited to fewer than 50 worshippers in compliance with the Israeli military’s guidelines for civilians.

Pizzaballa instead celebrated Mass in the nearby St. Savior’s Monastery, a soaring marble church which is located next to an underground music school that the Israeli military has deemed a safe shelter space. Later on Sunday, Pizzaballa held a prayer for peace at the Dominus Flevit Shrine on the Mount of Olives, but kept his homily concentrated on Jesus and didn't mention the morning’s incident.

Pope Leo XIV, at the end of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, prayed for all Christians in the Middle East who he said were living through an “atrocious” conflict. He said that “in many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days,” though he didn’t elaborate.

The Vatican spokesman didn’t immediately respond when asked to comment on the Jerusalem incident.

The closure sparked a wave of criticism that Israeli authorities had gone too far in restricting worship, including from Israel’s top ally, the United States.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a devout evangelical Christian, said that the incident was “an unfortunate overreach."

He said in a statement that the proposed prayer with Pizzaballa and the others was well below the 50-person limit for gatherings. “For the Patriarch to be barred from entry to the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify,” he wrote.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident, which he said had added to the “concerning increase in violations of the status of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.” In a post on X, Macron wrote: “The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions.”

Italian authorities across the political spectrum condemned the move to restrict Pizzaballa, an Italian cardinal considered a leading papal contender in the 2025 conclave, to access the church.

The Italian government formally protested the incident to Israeli authorities and summoned Israel's ambassador to Rome for clarification.

Premier Giorgia Meloni said that the police action “constitutes an offense not only against believers but against every community that recognizes religious freedom.”

Meloni’s conservative government tried to keep a balanced position with Israel during the war in Gaza, supporting Israel’s right to defense but condemning the toll on Palestinians. The Italian leader has also said that Italy won't participate in the Iran war, while affirming that the Islamic Republic can't be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was no “malicious intent” and that the cardinal was prevented from accessing the church because of safety concerns, but that Israel would try to partially open the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days.

“Given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world’s Christians, Israel’s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

In an interview with Italian Catholic broadcaster TG2000, Pizzaballa said there was difference of opinions with Israeli authorities over accessing the church, but that the dispute remained polite.

"We want to use this situation to try to clarify better what will be done in the coming days, respecting the security of all naturally but also in respect of the right to prayer,” he said.

The Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, is also mostly closed because of safety issues, but authorities are letting up to 50 people at a time pray in an enclosed area adjacent to the plaza.

Smaller churches, synagogues, and mosques are open in Jerusalem’s Old City if they are located within a certain distance of a bomb shelter deemed acceptable by Israel’s military and, if gatherings are kept under 50 people.

The same limitations apply to most of Israel, where schools have also been closed since the beginning of the Iran war and workplaces can function only where a shelter can be reached in the short time available after an alert.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, holds a prayer service to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Pool Photo via AP)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, holds a prayer service to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Pool Photo via AP)

People visit the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem's Old City Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

People visit the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem's Old City Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Christians walk with palm branches during Palm Sunday in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Catholic faithfuls attend a Palm Sunday mass at the Monastery of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem's Old City Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Faithful attend a prayer service in the Church of All Nations, held by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Pool Photo via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — It was Yaxel Lendeborg, Elliot Cadeau and Aday Mara. Morez Johnson Jr., Trey McKenney and Nimari Burnett, too. The list goes on and on.

Michigan got it done together, just like it has all season long.

“The biggest focus is playing team basketball,” Lendeborg said. “We thrive off of that.”

Lendeborg scored 27 points, Cadeau had 10 assists and the deep, unselfish Wolverines rolled into the Final Four, overwhelming Tennessee for a 95-62 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

Johnson added 12 points for Michigan, which has 11 victories this season by at least 30 points. Mara had 11 points and blocked two shots in the Midwest Region final.

Making the most of its size and athleticism on both sides of the court, Michigan (35-3) advanced to its first Final Four since 2018 and ninth overall. Next up is a showdown with fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in Saturday's national semifinals.

“We always wanted to play against them, that team,” Lendeborg said. “They're a really, really good team, so it's going to be a super fun matchup.”

Under second-year coach Dusty May — who took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023 — the Wolverines became the first school to win at least four games in an NCAA tourney by double digits while scoring at least 90 points in each.

“Our guys have been up to the challenge, to deliver in the biggest moments all year, and nothing changed tonight,” May said.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting for Tennessee (25-12), which lost in the Elite Eight for the third straight year under Rick Barnes. The 71-year-old coach reached his only Final Four in 2003 with Texas.

Felix Okpara finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Volunteers, who shot just 32% (24 of 76) from the field. Each team had 42 rebounds — a major problem for a Tennessee team that usually enjoys an advantage on the glass.

“We certainly know what it takes to get here,” Barnes said. “Now we’ve got to figure out getting through to the next level, and it’s on this day, you’ve got to really be at your best.”

Michigan grabbed control with a 21-0 run in the first half, going from a 16-14 deficit with 11:22 left to a 35-16 lead with 6:10 remaining.

“That's when our defense started clicking,” Lendeborg said. “We started running out on the break and started doing what we do best, and once that happened, man, I think the game was pretty much called right there.”

Once again, Lendeborg was the conductor of an offensive show for the Wolverines. The 6-foot-9 forward switched hands on a slick reverse layup, then made a no-look pass to Roddy Gayle Jr. for a 3-pointer on a fast break. Then he set up a 3 by Cadeau with 7:52 to go.

After Tennessee made a push to get back in the game, Lendeborg scored on a fast break and found McKenney for a 3 at the end of a 7-0 run that made it 48-26 at halftime.

“We didn’t do a great job cutting off transition,” Okpara said. “I think it was also the point of emphasis going into the game, just kind of taking on the transition game. But we didn’t do a great job with that, so they took advantage of that and they converted.”

It was more of the same in the second half. Mara, a 7-foot-3 center, stepped outside for one of the Wolverines’ 10 3-pointers. The Michigan portion of the United Center crowd cheered wildly when seldom-used reserves Charlie May — the coach's son — and Oscar Goodman entered for the final few minutes.

Goodman scored with 2:32 left and May made a 3 with 1:02 remaining for Michigan’s final basket.

“Just playing together and understanding that we all need each other to be successful,” said Burnett, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. “So making that extra pass, that unselfish play that leads from a good shot to a great shot, I feel like we had a lot of that, especially in the first half that built that lead.

“We like where we are right now at the end of the game.”

Lendeborg, who was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player, was 10 for 19 from the field. He became the first Michigan player to score at least 23 points in three consecutive NCAA Tournament games since Juwan Howard did it in four straight in 1994.

“We all trust each other,” Lendeborg said. “We play hard for each other. We make extra plays for each other. We’re going to do whatever we want for each other. So just being able to make it this far and continuing to want to get more, it means a lot.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates after defeating Tennessee in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Tennessee's Felix Okpara heads to the bench during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Michigan, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Tennessee's Jaylen Carey (23) and Michigan's Elliot Cadeau (3) reach for the ball as Tennessee's Nate Ament (10) watches during the first half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Michigan's Roddy Gayle Jr. (11), Yaxel Lendeborg (23) and Elliot Cadeau (3) celebrate during the first half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Tennessee, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg (23) celebrates during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Tennessee, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)