The great double-leaf gate that has protected the entrance to the Holy Sepulchre for centuries has never remained closed for so long. Wars, dangers, tensions, and pandemics have limited access to the Holy Site, but never for such a prolonged and continuous period. This span of time has coincided with the Lenten season, a time of reflection and prayer that, as we move forward, leads us to pass through that gate, even if only one leaf is open.”
Speaking to Vatican News, Father Ibrahim Faltas, head of the schools of the Custody of the Holy Land, describes with concern the critical situation currently unfolding: “Those doors, always sacred, have been closed since February 28, and we are still not allowed to open them for rites that are not merely traditions or customs, but centuries-old practices.”
