coming up. is the most important day in the christian calendar, and thousands are gathering to celebrate easter mass begins at the vatican. meanwhile religious events across the middle east marred by ongoing violence, we re live in jerusalem and beirut, and why to tennessee lawmakers expelled from the statehouse could soon be back at one. live from cnn center. this is cnn newsroom with poland, he said. up first for us. it s easter sunday, the holiest day of the christian calendar. celebrating with the bible says was the resurrection of jesus. tens of thousands of the faithful have converged on st peter s square for easter mass. currently underway there. hope francis is presiding over the service. he will then deliver his traditional urbi or or be or at to the city of the world blessing. the 86 year old pontiff has been recovering from bronchitis after being hospitalized last week now later in the show, we will head to the vatican for a live update with our delia gallagher. me
blessing. the 86 year old pontiff has been recovering from bronchitis after being hospitalized last week now later in the show, we will head to the vatican for a live update with our delia gallagher. meantime, jews right around the world are commemorating passover. these are pictures. you see them there of the scene at the western wall. for the priestly blessing ceremony now, in addition to passover and easter, islam s holy month of ramadan is being marked in jerusalem as well with prayers taking place earlier at the al aqsa mosque. but those ceremonies have been marred by a recent surge in violence right across the region. in the latest escalation, israel has carried out a new wave of attacks on syrian territory. it has released this video, which appears to show strikes on a syrian military compound, radar systems and artillery posts. israel says it launched the strikes after rockets were fired