“We wish all of you that Easter would be a source of optimism and strength. Let this holiday give us hope for a better future in our families, in our homeland and in the entire region,” the president said in a post published on the X platform on Sunday.

Orthodox Christians, including the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and Russia, celebrate Easter this weekend, while most Western churches observed the major holiday on March 31.

Andrzej Duda also thanked the Orthodox faithful for their contribution to the heritage of the Republic of Poland. Agata Kornhauser-Duda wished the Orthodox faithful a family holiday marked by mutual respect.

Życzenia wielkanocne Pary Prezydenckiej dla duchownych i wiernych Kościoła prawosławnego, greckokatolickiego oraz innych Kościołów wschodnich:💬Wszystkim Państwu życzymy, by Święta Paschy Chrystusowej były źródłem optymizmu i siły. Niech pozwolą nam patrzeć w przyszłość z… pic.twitter.com/pi5kdmVJEz

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) May 5, 2024

Małgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the Senate speaker, wished all the Orthodox faithful hope, love and mutual respect.

She also conveyed “special greetings” to Ukrainian and Belarusian refugees living in Poland.

🌷„Niech to będzie czas wspólnego przeżywania, dzielenia się wzajemnym szacunkiem oraz pięknem tradycji dawnej RP”.
☦️Marszałek #Senat @M_K_Blonska składa życzenia wielkanocne duchownym i wiernym Kościoła prawosławnego, greckokatolickiego oraz innych Kościołów wschodnich. pic.twitter.com/wK0Iz3zY0w

— Senat RP 🇵🇱 (@PolskiSenat) May 5, 2024

“Let this holiday, which symbolizes the victory of life over death, bring you fresh hope for freedom and peace,” she said in a recording published on X.

The Polish Orthodox Church is autocephalous (administratively independent). According to the church's estimates, the number of Orthodox faithful in Poland stands between 450,000 and 500,000.

According to Statistics Poland (GUS) data, considered by the church hierarchy to be unreliable, at the 2021 general census around 151,700 people declared adherence to the Orthodox Church in Poland.