The Herbert Haag Prize 2026 was awarded on Sunday in St. Luke’s Church in Lucerne. The prize, endowed with 10,000 Swiss francs each, went to the retired Amazon Bishop Erwin Kräutler and the Hungarian theologian Rita Perintfalvi.
Odilo Noti, President of the Herbert Haag Foundation, emphasized in his address that both laureates, despite their different focuses, are united by their “insistence on human dignity and equality, on human rights and democracy.”
Honoring Erwin Kräutler’s Life’s Work
86-year-old Bishop Erwin Kräutler, a native of Vorarlberg, was honored for his decades of commitment to Brazil. Kräutler, who has been active in the Amazon region since the 1960s, was Bishop of the Diocese of Xingu and President of the Indian Missionary Council (CIMI). In its statement of reasons, the foundation highlighted not only his commitment to the rights of indigenous peoples and environmental protection, but also his work against sexual abuse and child prostitution.
In her laudatory speech, Ute Leimgruber referred to the “common thread of the Gospel” in Kräutler’s work, which inextricably links love of God and love of neighbor. Kräutler himself used the award ceremony to call for structural reforms in the Church. Given the shortage of priests in the vast diocese in the Amazon, he asked: “Why on earth is it not possible to ordain parishioners who live in these regions and some of whom already hold leadership positions, so that the Eucharist can be celebrated everywhere?” He also urged the protection of the rainforest, as its continued existence has repercussions for the entire planet.
The 52-year-old theologian Rita Perintfalvi, who teaches in Budapest, was honored for her commitment to combating right-wing populism and religious fundamentalism, and for gender equality. In her laudatory speech, Irmgard Fischer pointed out that Perintfalvi is subjected to massive hostility and existential threats.
Background of the Foundation
Founded in 1985 by the Swiss theologian Herbert Haag, the foundation advocates for freedom, solidarity, and democracy both within and outside the Church. Among those offering congratulations in Lucerne was a delegation from the Diocese of Feldkirch, led by Bishop Benno Elbs.