Custody of the Holy Land: Prayer Continues at Holy Sepulchre Amid ‘Time of Trial,’ Restricted Access

Custody of the Holy Land: Prayer continues at Holy Sepulchre amid ‘time of trial,’ restricted access

(OSV News) — The Church of the Holy Sepulcher remains a place of continuous prayer despite restricted access to the faithful, according to a statement released March 21 by the Custody of the Holy Land, which also said uncertainty persists over upcoming Holy Week and Easter celebrations. The friars — now left to pray without faithful, and uncertain how long the restrictions would last — appealed to Catholic around the word to “unite in prayer tha…

Is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed? The Catholic Church in the Holy Land issues a statement in response to rumors on social media - ZENIT

(ZENIT News / Jerusalem, 03.21.2026).- Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East and the security measures imposed by the Israeli government, rumors have been circulating on social media about a “historic closure” of the Holy Places in the Holy Land, particularly the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. To address these rumors, the Custody of the Holy Land (the Catholic Church, through the Franciscans who safeguard these holy site…

Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem remains closed - The Record Newspaper

An Ethiopian Christian woman prays at the locked doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem March 4, 2026, on day five of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. The church and other religious sites as well as stores were locked shut by order of the Israeli government as Iranian ballistic missiles were fired at Israel. (OSV News photo/Debbie Hill) By Barb Fraze, OSV News (OSV News) — Israeli authorities closed Jerusalem’s Chur…