In a message to members of "the Orthodox Church, the Greek Catholic Church and other Eastern Churches in Poland," the Polish presidential couple said on Sunday that "Easter raises our spirits, gives us hope and brings peace."
Therefore, "with even greater compassion, we look at the tragedy of Ukraine, defending itself against Russia's brutal aggression. This is already the second Easter we are celebrating together in solidarity with war refugees from Ukraine," President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda said in a video posted on YouTube.
The Polish first couple wished Orthodox Christians a "joyous and peaceful Easter."
This year, the Eastern churches celebrate Easter on April 16, a week after Roman Catholics.
There are some 250 Eastern Orthodox parishes in Poland. According to the Central Statistical Office, some 500,000 Poles are Orthodox Christians, making them the second-largest religious group in Poland after Roman Catholics. Most Orthodox Christians live in Poland's northeast.
Meanwhile, a recent survey found that 36 percent of Ukrainian war refugees staying in Poland were planning to celebrate Easter this year "according to the Eastern calendar" on April 16.
(ał)
Source: IAR