There has been hue and cry all over the world, after zealous Israeli police refused a Catholic cardinal from entering the revered church of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
Two senior catholic clergy going to pray at the church would ordinarily be the most normal thing to do, considering how special the site is. The church stands on the site where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, the same location where his tomb is said to have been.
Palm Sunday prepares Christians for the Holy Week during which the Messiah died and resurrected, without which events Christianity would not have the meaning it has. Moreover, what the clergy went to do at the church was part of what their predecessors have done for centuries.
Who were the Unlucky Clergy?
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Jerusalem patriarch, and Francesco Lelpo, the church’s official guardian, are the two clergymen whom the police blocked from entry.
Benjamin Netanyahu Intervenes
The two senior clergymen were ultimately allowed to use the church, but only after the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened. Apparently, the world’s hue and cry had caught his attention, and he ordered what he termed “full and immediate access” to the church.
While Christians must have welcomed the intervention, it cannot be lost on them that the persecution of Jesus came to a head at that particular venue. And it is the same place where innocent Christian clergy were being barred from accessing to celebrate the start of Easter.
Significance of Easter
This year, Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified, falls on 3rd April 2026, while the day of Jesus’ resurrection is Sunday, 5th April 2026. According to the Christian faith, Jesus died on Good Friday to cleanse people of their sins.
He then resurrected on Sunday to give people hope that physical death is not final, and that there is hope for the spirit to live eternally. Sunday is the day Christians perform the relevant rituals in church, as they celebrate the victory of the Son of God over evil.
The following day, Easter Monday, is a day set aside by governments around the world for Christians to celebrate with their families and friends. While Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Sunday or “Pascha,” is a religious holy day, Easter Monday is entirely secular.