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(LifeSiteNews) — Following a meeting on Monday with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, expressed “regret” over the “unfortunate incident” of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, being denied access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday. In a March 30 statement released via Telegram and reported by Vatican News, the Holy See announced that Parolin, along with Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, had met with Sideman earlier that day to discuss and clarify the “unfortunate incident” on Palm Sunday. The Holy See noted the agreement reached between the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and local Israeli authorities allowing the liturgical celebrations for Holy Week and Easter inside the church. On the morning of Palm Sunday, March 29, Israeli police had stopped Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo, Custodian of the Holy Land, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, thus preventing them from celebrating Mass at the location on apparent security grounds linked to the ongoing war. In its statement, the Holy See Press Office stressed that during the conversation, “regret was expressed over what happened, clarifications were provided, and note was taken of the agreement reached between the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the local authorities regarding participation in the liturgies of the Easter Triduum at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.” READ: Israeli police block Cdl. Pizzaballa from Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday Notably, Pizzaballa and Ielpo were stopped while proceeding privately, without any form of procession or public ceremony, and were compelled to turn back. As a consequence, for the first time in centuries, the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land were unable to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. “This incident is a grave precedent,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land noted in a joint press release, adding that the measure was “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate” and constituted “an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.” The Patriarchate further underscored that, since the beginning of the war, Church authorities had “complied fully with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were canceled, attendance [at liturgies] was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations” worldwide to ensure participation by the faithful. Israeli police had defended the decision, stating that all holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem lacking protected areas had been closed to worshipers, in accordance with directives issued by the Home Front Command. The authorities indicated that the Patriarchate’s request for access had been examined and denied for these reasons. Jonathan Peled, Israel’s ambassador to Italy, went a step further, insisting that Pizzaballa had been clearly informed in advance that access to places of worship was not permitted for security reasons and stressing that the Latin patriarch nevertheless chose not to comply with those instructions. READ: Why are American Catholic influencers silent about attacks on Christians in Gaza? Later that day, however, Israeli President Isaac Herzog reported that he had spoken directly with the patriarch to express regret over the incident, attributing the situation to ongoing war threats, including missile attacks allegedly targeting Israeli territory. Following public reaction and diplomatic engagement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that measures were being arranged to allow access for religious authorities in the next few days. Netanyahu later confirmed that he had instructed relevant authorities to grant Pizzaballa “full and immediate access” to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On March 30, the same day the Holy See met with Sideman, the Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land issued a further joint statement confirming that “the matters concerning the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre have been addressed and resolved in coordination with the relevant authorities.” Access for Church representatives was secured to allow the continuation of Holy Week and Easter liturgies at the Holy Sepulchre, while “the existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in force for the time being.”

(LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian woman with debilitating illnesses who had previously decided to euthanize herself with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) has recently pulled herself back from the brink of killing herself, but she is in need of help with expenses for mobility, home accessibility, and medical care. “She’s hanging on by just a thread,” Lino DeFacendis, founder and CEO of Life Care Network, told LifeSiteNews. Help Tiffany Access Medical Care and Mobility Support Tiffany Felkai suffers from Cervical Cranial Instability and brain stem compression due to her genetic illness, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. This means the ligaments connecting her upper vertebrae and skull are loose, requiring a neck brace and causing a long list of symptoms, sometimes excruciating, that have included extreme headaches and paralysis. Tiffany was misdiagnosed for years by Canadian doctors. It wasn’t until she hired a medical case management agency and was sent to a U.S.-based neurologist that she received a correct diagnosis, her first step to obtaining proper treatment. However, the Ontario Ministry of Health (OMH) would only accept the diagnosis of Canadian doctors, leaving her unable to acquire the care she needed. She thereafter suffered from some personal issues and grueling physical symptoms: by October 2024, she was bed-bound up to 20 hours a day, suffered from week-long periods of speech loss, migraine-induced paralysis, and “unbearable” spine pain.  After having made literally hundreds of phone calls to government agencies and NGOs asking for help over the course of nine years, and having been denied funding for a critical surgery as well as pain management, Tiffany felt she had no choice but to commit assisted suicide. She lives alone, lacks family support, and has no one available to drive or help her in daily activities.  With the encouragement and support of Life Care Network (LCN) over the past few months, Tiffany has been convinced to hang on. LCN has been providing her with Personal Support Workers (PSWs) to help her through each day. However, Tiffany is also hanging on in hope of medical care and mobility support that will help manage her symptoms and allow her to be independent. Her LifeFunder fundraiser will help her obtain: A portable power chair with suspension An elevating seat on a power wheelchair that would allow her to access basic necessities An electric front door opener that would allow her to independently enter and exit her home safely  An adjustable bed frame, essential for symptom management, rest, and reducing pain and neurological strain Concussion rehabilitation therapy to manage neurological symptoms Help Tiffany Access Medical Care and Mobility Support All funds raised will go directly toward supporting these immediate needs. Obtaining these supports will go a long way in helping Tiffany to function independently and avoid further progression of her symptoms as she advocates for proper medical care. DeFacendis told LifeSiteNews that Tiffany has been “finding some comfort in our dear Lord’s wise command ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’ (Matthew 6:34)” He is requesting prayers for Tiffany and for the Life Care Network ministry. Learn more about Tiffany’s story here.

(LifeSiteNews) — On March 28, participants of a pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows organized by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) were banned from entering the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows in Cuceglio, Italy, outside of Turin. The SSPX posted a video of Father Aldo Rossi, the leader of the pilgrimage, standing in front of the church door and reading aloud a statement. Even though the pilgrimage had been announced, the doors remained closed to them. The local newspaper La Voce reported on March 29 that several priests, the Consoling Sisters of the Sacred Heart, as well as dozens of lay people, among them young families, were participating in the pilgrimage that stretched over several miles, with some people carrying a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows. As the newspaper wrote, “the faithful of the Priory of San Carlo in Montalenghe had organized a Lenten pilgrimage, which had been announced in advance.” “No Mass, no liturgical celebration: just a few concluding prayers, as a gesture of devotion” were planned. La Voce, a secular newspaper, continued its report with consternation since, according to their sources, the decision to close the door to the pilgrimage group was made by the chaplain of the shrine, Don Luca Meinardi, but under the influence of his superior, Diocese of Ivrea Bishop Daniele Salera. The newspaper commented, “A choice that inevitably clashes with an ecclesiastical lexicon that in recent years has emphasized words like welcome, inclusion, dialogue, and mercy.” Don Rossi, the SSPX priest, comes to a similar conclusion when he stated in his videotaped commentary, and we quote his strong words here at length: “Well, in the prevailing culture of inclusion, doors are opened to everyone: to Anglicans who celebrate Mass in the mother of all churches in Rome, St. John Lateran, even though they are not even priests. Just two days ago, Rome sent a message to the female Anglican archbishop on the occasion of her installation, reminding her to walk together, bearing in mind that differences cannot erase the brotherhood born of our shared baptism. Churches are opening their doors to Protestants, even allowing them to celebrate Mass in a parish here in Turin. We pray together with all religions.” LifeSite had reported about the fact that Pope Leo XIV had sent on March 26 a welcoming message to Sarah Mullally, the new pro-abortionist and pro-LGBT archbishop of Canterbury, invoking the Holy Ghost for her ministry. “In asking the Lord to strengthen you with the gift of wisdom,” the Roman Pontiff wrote, “I pray that you may be guided by the Holy Spirit in serving your communities, and draw inspiration from the example of Mary, the Mother of God.” Don Rossi went on to say in his speech in front of the closed doors of the Marian shrine, which was built after a Marian apparition: “Churches are also opening to the earth goddess Pachamama, as happened in Rome. Churches are opening to LGBT groups and celebrating Mass with them, particularly at the Church of the Gesù in Rome. Doors are opening to Buddhists and animists, as happened at the 1986 Assisi meeting, where a statue of Buddha was even placed on the tabernacle. But for the Society of St. Pius X, simply to say a prayer for vocations — not Mass, but prayers for vocations — the doors are closed. In this case, there is no inclusion, but exclusion. Why? Because in the Pantheon there were all the gods except our Lord Jesus Christ.” Further expounding on this exclusion of the truth of Jesus Christ, Don Rossi pointed out that the founder of the SSPX, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s own tombstone has inscribed the words: “I have passed on what I received.” The priest continued, speaking with a calm voice: “Well, we do nothing other than pass on this truth, this tradition that we have simply received. But under the system of inclusivity, this cannot be accepted because, precisely, the truth is exclusive; one cannot remain in the middle.” The story about the fate this pilgrimage met has been picked up by Catholic media, such as the traditional Catholic blog Messa in Latina. While pointing out its own critical attitude toward the SSPX, the author of the post, Luigi Casalini, uses some strong words: “The terrible bishop of Ivrea scandalizes the faithful: think instead of his empty churches and seminaries! A real disgrace.” Radio Spada also covered the story and printed the entire speech by Don Rossi on its website. For Don Rossi, the conclusion was to offer up this injustice to those who a the cause of it. “We offer this sacrifice – not being able to enter church – for the Church, for the Pope, for the Bishop, for all priests,” he declared,” so that they may emerge as soon as possible from this darkness, from this false ecumenism, from this false culture of inclusiveness that excludes the truth, that is, excludes our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.” For La Voce journalist Liborio La Mattina, there is an angle to this story that goes beyond the local news when he wrote: “We’re not dealing with an abstract theological dispute here. We’re dealing with a concrete gesture: a door closed to those who simply wanted to pray. And immediately afterward, an equally concrete accusation: ‘Open to everyone, except us.’ This is where the story stops being local and becomes paradigmatic.” This event took place at a time that is not far from July 1 when the SSPX plans to consecrate more bishops in order to be able to continue its work for Tradition, the traditional Latin Mass, the traditional sacraments, and all the lay people who are asking them for their assistance.