states and all around the world. i m paula newton ahead right here on cnn newsroom hope francis is presiding over easter mass. at the vatican, where thousands have gathered for celebration. but in the middle east religious events this weekend are being marred by ongoing violence. we are alive in jerusalem and beirut for the latest, and we ll take a closer look. at that abortion drug that s at the center of two opposing court rulings in the united states. live from cnn center. this is cnn newsroom with paula neeson. but first it is easter sunday, the holiest day of the christian calendar. celebrating with the bible says was the resurrection of jesus. thousands of the faithful have converged on st peter s square for easter mass. currently underway. you see it there. francis is presiding over the service. now he did not walk in the traditional procession, but instead arrived in a wheelchair . you will soon deliver his traditional easter blessing. the 86 year old pontiff has been
jacket. pastor igor yearsof of the protestant bethlehem christian church prepares for his rounds. today he is conducting services in the village of maximilian in just a few miles from russian lines. churches a hurried affair. just 45 minutes of no frills sermon in prayer to terry dangerous russian artillery shell recently landed next door sprain. shrapnel on the walls, destroying the roof, shattering the windows. yet when the faithful emerged, there is momentarily a sense of serenity . it calms your soul, says natalia. we feel that we are with god and that he protects us . but for the handful of residents, maximilian is a is a ghost town. the fuse. still here depend upon the kindness of others for their sustenance, including bread brought by
pastor igor one loaf per person. once a week every sunday. this is the only time these people can get fresh bread. fresh bread is still warm. but man cannot live on bread alone today, says pastor igor is the most precious thing for people here on the front lines. afterwards we went with the pastor to a nearby bomb shelter and abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium. at the shelter entrance shows us where parts of the rockets struck a month ago that day, he recalls, when rain began to fall, and others went below, then the rocket hit. if it had been five minutes earlier, he said, no one would have survived down below. they have electricity, even satellite television. ana distracts herself by cooking. she never leaves the shelter.