Middle East, Tajani: ‘Outrage over ban on Pizzaballa; Piccioni to meet Israeli ambassador’

Rome, 29 March (LaPresse) – Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni, Deputy Secretary-General and Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will receive Israel’s Ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, on Monday to convey the Italian government’s protest against the ban on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre imposed today on Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, and on the Custodian of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, the official Custodian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Tajani confirmed that he had given “instructions to convey our indignation to the authorities in Tel Aviv and to reaffirm Italy’s position in defence of religious freedom and to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future”.