Israeli security forces prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday liturgy on March 29 — the first time in centuries that church leadership was physically barred from leading services at Christianity’s holiest site. Italy’s foreign ministry condemned the act as an offense to religious freedom, marking a rare diplomatic escalation over access to Christian holy sites.

What this means: Israel’s decision to block the Latin Patriarch from Palm Sunday services signals a shift from incidental conflict impact to direct state interference with Christian worship. Previous restrictions on holy site access involved security cordons or temporary closures during active military operations; this incident represents an intentional, targeted restriction on a senior Christian leader’s access to the faith’s most sacred location during the highest liturgical season.

Who’s at risk: The Latin Patriarchate’s 70+ parishes across Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus face potential cascading access restrictions if this precedent holds. Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City — already under movement constraints — bear the most immediate burden. International pilgrims arriving for Holy Week and Easter services face uncertain access to sites that have remained open through decades of conflict. Catholic, Orthodox, and Armenian communities sharing custody of the Holy Sepulchre under the centuries-old Status Quo agreement all stand exposed.

Outlook: Easter week will test whether the Jerusalem restriction was an isolated security decision or the opening of a sustained access-denial posture toward Christian leadership at the Holy Sepulchre. ROAM is monitoring for any repeat restrictions during Good Friday and Easter services.

KINSHASA, DRC – Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Islamist attackers conducted targeted assaults against Christians, killing 15 inside a church and kidnapping 20 in the first wave, with additional killings in subsequent attacks. ADF operatives specifically searched for a pastor during a third assault.

JOS, NIGERIA – Unknown gunmen abducted Rev. Prof. Sunday B. Agang, chairman of the ECWA Board of Trustees, from his residence in Farin Gida in the early morning hours. The family was held hostage briefly before the pastor was taken at gunpoint; kidnappers had not made contact regarding ransom.

BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI – Guillaume Harushimana was arrested in connection with the September 2014 killings of three Missionaries of Mary Saveriane nuns in Kamenge.

SUQAYLABIYAH, SYRIA – Scores of men from the Sunni town of Qalaat al-Madiq attacked homes, shops, and cars belonging to Christians in the Christian-majority town during an hours-long assault. Churches in Damascus cancelled external Palm Sunday celebrations in silent solidarity.

IRAQ – Christians in northern Iraq were instructed to cancel Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations, restricting Christian religious observances in the lead-up to major holidays.

SOUTH LEBANON – Bombardments struck Christian villages near the Israel border, forcing residents to flee amid an ongoing cross-border offensive involving Hezbollah and Israel. Local residents described it as not their war.

TEHRAN, IRAN – NOPO (Iran’s Counter-Terrorism Special Force) assumed control of Evin Prison, closing gates and curtailing operations. Prisoners — including Christians imprisoned for their faith — were receiving only one low-quality meal per day amid reports of enforced disappearances.

No current updates.

NORTHERN INDIA – A Hindu mob assaulted two Christian couples after they visited another family to pray for a newborn. The mob broke into the home, dragged the couples out and beat them for hours, seized Bibles and Christian literature, forced them to burn the materials, and detained them in their vehicle while threatening to set it on fire.

LAHORE, PAKISTAN – A Pakistani court upheld the custody and marriage of 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz to a Muslim man. The court rejected evidence she was a minor and treated her conversion as valid under sharia principles amid accusations of kidnapping and forced conversion.

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Christian sanitation worker Ishtiaq Saleem remains in custody after a 2022 arrest on blasphemy allegations. His trial has concluded with a verdict pending, carrying potential death penalty consequences under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

No current updates.

No current updates.

CLAXTON BAY, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – A deacon reported a fire inside the prayer area of the Sacred Choice of Heaven Mt Lebanon Spiritual Baptist Church. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and investigators found plastic bottles containing gasoline inside the building.

LEIGHTON, ALABAMA – A large fire broke out at Abbie Baptist Church shortly after midnight. Multiple volunteer fire departments responded and the sanctuary was expected to be a total loss.

LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA – A fire on Huval Street destroyed an adjacent apartment building and heavily damaged Little Refuge Church during the early morning hours.

COLUMBIA, LOUISIANA – Two suspects were arrested after St. John Chapel was burglarized, vandalized, and set on fire. Suspects allegedly cut power, smashed a window, and burned items inside the chapel.

GOLDEN, ILLINOIS – Fire crews responded around 4 a.m. to a fire at Trinity Lutheran Church. The steeple collapsed; investigators indicated the cause was likely electrical.

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN – A fire broke out in the basement of Open Gates of Grace Church. Two people were rescued and hospitalized; the cause remains under investigation.

TULSA, OKLAHOMA – Firefighters responded around 2 a.m. to a roof fire at Saint Paul United Methodist Church. No injuries reported; the church is closed pending repairs.

SEYMOUR, TENNESSEE – A driver experiencing a medical episode crashed an SUV into Ignite International Ministries (Crossroad Baptist Church), pushing pews into walls and cracking windows.

ANKENY, IOWA – Nine students were injured when a vehicle struck them while waiting outside St. Luke’s Catholic School. The crash was not believed to be intentional.

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND – A church faced backlash from city officials after hosting a homeless tent encampment on its property, centering on zoning concerns.

WASHINGTON STATE – A middle school student was reprimanded by a school administrator after distributing Gospel tracts to other students.

TOPEKA, KANSAS – Fire broke out in the parking lot of Topeka Bible Church where a pallet of roofing materials ignited. No injuries reported.

LVIV, UKRAINE – Russian drone and missile strikes hit the UNESCO-protected Bernardine Monastery and St. Andrew’s Church, killing at least three people and wounding 30 in Lviv’s historic city centre.

SMORODINO, RUSSIA – A drone-launched explosive device hit church premises, destroying a building and damaging a social facility in Belgorod Oblast.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA – During a church service at Saint Anne Church, two people approached Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and attempted to attack him. Security intervened and detained the suspects.

FINLAND – Finland’s Supreme Court convicted Christian legislator Dr. Päivi Räsänen of hate speech, overturning acquittals related to her 2004 church pamphlet. The ruling imposed fines and ordered the statements removed and destroyed.

No current updates.

For the Church in Jerusalem. On the very day Christians worldwide marked the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Latin Patriarch was turned away from the tomb of Christ. In Iraq, believers were told to cancel Palm Sunday and Easter entirely. Pray for Cardinal Pizzaballa, for the communities that depend on access to the Holy Sepulchre, and for every Christian in the Middle East navigating worship under restriction. Pray that doors closed by human authority would be opened by divine intervention before Easter.

For the persecuted Church under fire. In the DRC, ADF militants stormed a church, killed 15 believers, and kidnapped 20 more. In Syria, mobs attacked a Christian town so violently that Damascus churches cancelled Palm Sunday in solidarity. In southern Lebanon, Christian villages are being bombarded as residents flee a war they did not choose. Pray for the bereaved, the displaced, and the pastors who refuse to abandon their flocks.

For the faithful standing trial. In Pakistan, 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz remains in a forced marriage upheld by the courts. In Finland, a Christian legislator was convicted for quoting Scripture. In Islamabad, a Christian sanitation worker awaits a verdict that could carry the death penalty. Pray for justice, for courage, and for legal systems to protect the vulnerable instead of punishing the faithful.

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