Ukrainian Plast Members to Spread Bethlehem Light of Peace
On December 11, the Ukrainian delegation of Plast members together with scouts from other countries will participate in the celebratory Mass in the Vienna Cathedral as part of the international campaign Bethlehem Light of Peace. After the Mass, the scouting organizations will begin to spread the Bethlehem light across European countries.
The Ukrainian delegation of 26 persons will represent all the regions of Ukraine, the press service of Plast reported to RISU.
Traditionally, the campaign in Ukraine was blessed by four churches – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine.
The coordinator, Ivan Spryn, noted: "It will be the twelfth time that Plast members spread this symbol of faith, hope and love in Ukraine not only in churches but also in children's homes and hospitals as the fire from the place of birth of Jesus Christ should burn in each Ukrainian home on Christmas."
On December 17, Polish scouts will pass the Bethlehem light to Ukraine through the Ukrainian Plast members at the Ukrainian-Polish border at Rava Ruska.
Information:
The campaign Bethlehem Light of Peace as a charitable act of bringing the light from the symbolic place of birth of Jesus Christ to people celebrating Christmas away from home, in hospitals, children's homes, etc., was initiated by the Austrian TV-radio company in 1988. In the same year, the initiative was supported by scouts from Vienna.
In the end of November, the fire from Bethlehem is transported by air to Europe in a special container by Austrian scouts, and then it is passed from hand to hand in Europe in a "scout relay race." It is transported from Austria via Slovakia and Poland to Ukraine in the middle of December, where it is taken care of by Plast, Ukraine's largest scouting organization.
