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International peace light reaches Polish presidential palace

08.12.2025 21:30
The Polish presidential couple have welcomed the Peace Light of Bethlehem, a symbolic flame that is part of an international Christmas tradition.
President Karol Nawrocki (right) and First Lady Marta Nawrocka (left) attend the Peace Light ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.
President Karol Nawrocki (right) and First Lady Marta Nawrocka (left) attend the Peace Light ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.Photo: Grzegorz Jakubowski/KPRP

The light was brought to the presidential palace in Warsaw on Monday by a group of Polish scouts who earlier received it from their Slovak counterparts, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

During the ceremony, President Karol Nawrocki said the annual tradition embodies "values that are central to our beloved Poland—Christian values such as love, mercy and peace, which the world needs so much today, as the situation in the Holy Land shows."

He described the Peace Light of Bethlehem as "a symbol of the fight for goodness within ourselves—for love, mercy and respect for others, a fight we must wage every day."

"By defeating evil," he added, "we can create a better world, full of peace, understanding and Christian values."

The tradition of sharing the Peace Light began in 1986. Since 1987, Austrian scouts have led the campaign, bringing the flame from the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem to their country every year.

It is typically distributed during an ecumenical ceremony in Vienna, where representatives of various European scout organizations gather to receive it.

Polish scouts have been part of the tradition since 1991.

(gs)

Source: PAPprezydent.pl