The Light passed on to the Council of Ministers

On 11 December, Polish scouts received the Peace Light of Bethlehem from Slovakian scouts. Today, they arrived at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and passed on the Light to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “Freedom, peace, hope – these are the values that are the foundation of our life,” said the Head of Government. He noted that the primary function of the Light is to give hope and faith that the world can be a better place. The Prime Minister stressed that through cooperation between people and nations we build a new and better world.

Hope for Ukraine

This year, exceptionally, the first place to be illuminated by the Bethlehem Light from Poland was Ukraine. Scouts handed over the Light at the Medyka- Shehyni border strip on 11 December. Our neighbours across the eastern border are in a difficult situation – they are in particular need of this year's Peace Light of Bethlehem. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasised that fundamental values are under threat today. “We handed over the Peace Light of Bethlehem together with great hope that the coming new year will be a year of peace, that the war will end as soon as possible: with a good peace – a peace full of freedom for Ukraine,” added the Head of Government.

The tradition of the Light

It was first organised in 1986 in Linz, Austria, under the name “Light in the Darkness”. The Light is received from the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP) has been organising the Peace Light of Bethlehem since 1991. It is a tradition that the ZHP receives the Light from Slovak scouts. The passing of the Light takes place alternately: one year in Slovakia and another in Poland. Our country is one of the links of the Bethlehem relay. Scouts pass on the Light further eastwards to Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus, westwards to Germany, as well as northwards to Sweden.