Austria receives Bethlehem Peace Light for 40th year

Austria received the ORF Peace Light from Bethlehem on Wednesday evening, with 11-year-old Mila Götzinger from Perg accepting the lantern at Vienna Airport, ORF reported.

The flame was lit by 13-year-old Costa Habash in the Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem. An ORF Upper Austria team brought it from the Holy Land, and Austrian Airlines flew it to Austria. Götzinger then took the lantern by train to Upper Austria, accompanied by governor Thomas Stelzer.

This is the 40th time the ORF Peace Light has been brought to Austria. The Nativity Grotto is currently closed for extensive renovation work, but it was briefly opened for the lighting. The team also faced increased security requirements because of the political situation in the region.

Götzinger, the ORF Peace Light bearer for 2026, will pass on the flame at national and international ceremonies. She is a student and volunteers with the Youth Red Cross.

Stelzer said the light could not end wars directly, but could offer people a moment of hope and faith in a better world. The Peace Light has been a symbol of Christmas peace since 1986 and is expected to shine in more than 30 countries in Europe, North America and South America this year.