KYIV — On December 20, 2009, in the Ivan Honchar Museum, the Ukrainian Center of Folk Culture, the Bethlehem peace light was passed to Ukrainian Churches and organizations. It was received by representatives of four denominations, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and the Roman Catholic Church, reports Ukrinform.
The Bethlehem Peace Light campaign was initiated in 1988 by an Austrian broadcasting company. Its aim is to bring the flame from the symbolic place of birth of Jesus Christ to people celebrating Christmas away from their home, in hospitals, orphanages, etc. It is transported from Bethlehem by plane by Austrian scouts to be passed to other European scouts.
From Austria the light travels to Poland, through Slovakia, and then to Ukraine, where it is taken care of by Plast, the largest scouting organization in Ukraine.