Editorial: Rev. Moon, Rest in Peace - His Sense of Mission Remains the Guiding Light of The Washington Times

September 2, 2012
The Washington Times

The Rev. Sun Myung Moon died in Korea on Sunday at the age of 92. He founded The Washington Times in 1982, and through it maintained a strong voice at the highest levels of national and international affairs. Over 30 years, the preeminent challenges of the day have changed, from the Communist threat during the Cold War to the contemporary dangers posed by suffocating debt. Throughout it all, The Washington Times has remained constant in articulating the importance of the values of faith, family, freedom and service to serve as guiding lights to help the country and world navigate the rough waters. These were the guiding lights ignited by Rev. Moon.

Rev. Moon put not only his treasure – but his heart – into this newspaper. Reflecting on this commitment and the central role The Washington Times plays in the nation’s capital, many curious observers asked and some critics speculated on his motivation. All the while, the simple answer was standing there for everyone to see in those four guiding principles. As the summer of 2012 turns into autumn, the newspaper founded by Rev. Moon sits on the cusp of its fourth decade. Its raison d’etre is relevant now more than ever, and this institution stands as a monumental legacy to its founder. Because of the timelessness of this message to the future, and to honor the man responsible for it, this is an opportune time to review the mission and how it developed over the passing days.

The most direct, recent public statement of the paper’s mission is the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s May 21, 2002 speech, “Freedom, Family and Faith: The Role of the Media in the 21st Century.” Rev. Moon said he founded The Washington Times in 1982 “as an expression of [his] love for America and to fulfill the Will of God, who seeks to establish America in His Providence.” At that time, the Post was the only major newspaper in town, which meant that “the capital of the Free World had a limited perspective on news, issues and policy, which ignored the danger of communism and its threat to the entire world at that time.” Rev. Moon believed that “there needed to be a newspaper that had the philosophical and ideological foundation to encourage and enlighten the people and leaders of America.” Thus from the beginning, the paper was intended to be a beacon of enlightenment, not merely a source of information. It was this commitment to the greater calling of freedom – and the shared belief that America is a shining city on a hill – that made The Washington Times President Ronald Reagan’s favorite newspaper.

In its first decade, the mission of The Washington Times was to “provide leadership through thoughtful commentary and objective news and information to make clear the harsh reality of communist tyranny.” At the time, at the dawn of the Reagan era, few analysts expected the Soviet Union to collapse any time soon. Moscow was at the height of its imperial power, with the communist ethic taking over in countries around the world from Eastern Europe and Africa to Asia and Latin America. The conventional wisdom still sought accommodation with the Soviets, and the liberal establishment howled in 1983 when President Reagan described America’s most dangerous adversary as the “evil empire.” Like Reagan, Rev. Moon drew attention to what many in Washington would rather ignore: that the Cold War was at base a moral struggle between two competing, mutually exclusive values systems. The conflict could not be won without acknowledging and reaffirming this fact. This war between two opposing values systems couldn’t be settled through accommodation but had to be won through an all-out showdown. President Reagan drew the line in the sand; The Washington Times helped to deliver the message of freedom.

In 1992, with the collapse of global communism, this first mission to defeat the exponential growth of tyranny was accomplished. Rev. Moon then defined a new mission, in the context of the challenges of the “Culture War,” to “promote ethics and moral values in our society.” In this way, he was acknowledging the most important function of the conservative movement: to combat and counter the most dangerous threats of the day. Society isn’t saved by continuing to fight yesterday’s wars after they are over. A movement must move on and adapt to continue to be relevant and to serve the needs of the times. The 1990s saw a breakdown of family values, the rise of accepted levels of sexual content, profanity and violence in the media, and a general breakdown in public morality. Sexual promiscuity became the norm at alarmingly earlier ages, unborn babies were aborted by the millions and divorce was no longer taboo. If America was to survive, Americans had to decide if they still believed in anything anymore. Thus, the Cold War gave way to the Culture War. As the external threat receded, the enemy within came to the fore. The Washington Times became “a newspaper that helped people understand the importance of strong moral, family values.” As we look around at the collapse of the family today and the onslaught of attacks on traditional morals that come from statehouses across the country and even from the U.S. Capitol itself, it is painfully obvious that this is still a fight that needs to be waged with more intensity than ever.

In the paper’s third and current decade, its mission has been “to emphasize and support spiritual values that are based on the faith of each individual.” After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, discussion of the role of faith in public life took center stage. A misguided belief arose that the Judeo-Christian world had to bow to the sensitivities of fringe fanatics in order to combat radicalism. This was aided by the increasing secularization of American culture and hostility to religion in politics. As recent legislative battles have revealed, the federal government is now actively forcing religious institutions to go against the dictates of their faith or face severe consequences. This includes forcing religious medical facilities to provide abortion, contraceptive and other services against their will. As a recent editorial in this newspaper explained, “This is the latest salvo in an ongoing battle over religious issues such as the banning of cultural manifestations of belief like the 10 Commandments in courtrooms or manger scenes in front of firehouses. What ties the tussles together is [the government’s] mission to force faith out of the public realm.” This is another call to arms. As Rev. Moon stated, “The media must stand at the very forefront in the defense of human dignity and freedom and the crusade against all forms of injustice.”

Facing such a danger against America’s “first freedom” – the freedom of religion and the freedom of individual conscience – the third mission of The Washington Times to defend spiritual values was a natural successor to those of the previous two decades: “Freedom at the world level, moral and ethical values at the family level, and faith at the individual level.” Rev. Moon called these “the three great imperatives for our lives and for the media as well.” He said that “freedom, family values and faith are America’s most fundamental spiritual virtues,” and that “the reason The Washington Times is called ‘America’s newspaper’ is that it leads the way in putting America’s philosophical tradition into practice.” This profound responsibility continues as attacks on religious freedom escalate and threaten to force belief underground. It is more important than ever not to give up the fight. Polls show what those behind this newspaper have always believed: There is hope for the future when there is hope in God, a foundation of faith that has always bolstered Americans during times of crisis. According to Pew, 67 percent of adults, “say it is important for the president to have strong religious beliefs.” That’s just one indication of how deep America’s spiritual roots run.

As a newspaper, what has been going on in “The Fourth Estate” has served as a backdrop to these ongoing ideological, philosophical and existential showdowns. When locking horns over the meaning of life and the purpose of humanity in the world, how a message is communicated is as important as what that statement is. The news media has undergone a revolution of change in recent years, with each period of adaptation raising new questions about the efficacy of the industry. No doubt, in some ways, the medium can become the message. Many of our competitors are fascinated with all the emerging technology of news dissemination, placing primary value on the latest, most fashionable means for distributing content and focusing less on the content itself. But as Rev. Moon said in 2002, “in the midst of this quantity, there needs to be responsibility for the quality of people’s lives.” He said that “while the media can provide all the facts, they also have the responsibility to provide values to prevent confusion and to provide leadership and direction, especially today when the entire world is flooded with news and information.” Technology is only a means to an end, not an end itself. It is important to be at the cutting edge of new technologies, but regardless of how we reach people, if we lose sight of the mission it will be a meaningless exercise. This gets to the ultimate question about why Rev. Moon concentrated so much effort on The Washington Times. “The electronic and print media are the most powerful and influential means of communication the world has ever known,” he explained at the 10th World Media Conference in 1989. “I founded this important organization to promote the spirit of truth.”

Faith. Family. Freedom. Service. The conservative values that have guided The Washington Times also serve as a poignant memorial to the wisdom of the man whose foresight and courage sounded the charge to fight the battles of the day. As Neil Bush, chairman of Points of Light and son of President George H.W. Bush, told The Washington Times, “I got to know [Rev. Moon] as a man whose heart was focused on bringing together people of different faiths to bridge divides. His call on people of faith to serve others is an important legacy.” Rev. Moon may have passed from this Earth, but his values, his legacy, his sense of mission are alive and strong. It is his vision that continues to provide the motivating force for this newspaper, and The Washington Times is committed to continuing the fight for what is right that he laid out. There is plenty of work yet to be done to make the world a better, more humane, more peaceful place for all of God’s sons and daughters. It is with reverence and respect that these pages offer a profound thank you for the support, direction and sense of purpose provided by Rev. Moon. May he rest in peace.

The Washington Times

Moon Was ‘Unifier On The World Stage’

Jennifer Harper
September 2, 2012
The Washington Times

Peace was his focus, peace the lifelong theme of his preaching. Beyond a devotion to love and family, the third persistent theme in the teachings and ministry of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon was the search for ways to promote peace in the world, articulated in often surprising ways by a man who approached the theme through both lofty concept and down-to-earth practical application.

“Rev. Moon has emerged as a great peacemaker and unifier on the world stage,” former Secretary of State Alexander Haig once said. “He is a leading force for interreligious dialogue and understanding between people of all backgrounds, and for global peace and security.”

The commitment was not just rhetorical, as his efforts helped spawn dozens of institutions and programs in his native Korea and around the globe, all charged with a mission of promoting peace in ways big and small, theoretical and practical.

Rev. Moon, who died early Monday in South Korea, got started at a young age.

“Love completely even those who hate you,” he wrote when he was 16. In later years, Rev. Moon described himself as a “peace-loving global citizen,” which became the title of his 2009 autobiography, leaving him with this conclusion:

“My prayer is that every person on earth will be reborn as a peace-loving global citizen, transcending barriers of religion, ideology and race,” Rev. Moon wrote in the last line of his book.

Associates say he was single-minded and strategic about the quest for peace, and went about realizing his vision of peace with methodical precision, founding a spectrum of organizations aimed at specific audiences.

Putting Peace Into Practice

Launched in 2001, the Ambassadors for Peace program was a mainstay of Rev. Moon’s outreach, built around core principles that include “living for the sake of others in service to God and humanity” and a spirit of harmony and cooperation among races, religions, nationalities and cultures. The group now has chapters in more than 160 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

The Universal Peace Federation was also a primary focus of his efforts. Founded seven years ago, it began with a 100-city international tour that took Rev. Moon and his wife, Hak Ja Han, on a search for like-minded folk who believed that authentic peacemaking started on a family level. The federation also stressed a “new future” for the United Nations, complete with a widening of the world body’s peacemaking mission beyond the traditional elite-based realm of politicians, diplomats and generals.

“Peace is not simply the absence of war or a term that applies only to the relationships among nations. Peace is an essential quality that should characterize all relationships,” the group notes in its mission statement.

Many Spinoffs

The effort spawned many spinoffs, often targeting specific groups or regions torn by conflict and division. Among the many organizations that fall under the Universal Peace Federation umbrella: the Marriage and Family Peace Initiative, the Middle East Peace Initiative, the Balkans Peace Initiative, the South Asia Peace Initiative, the Global Peace Council, the Office of Peace and Security, and the Women’s Federation for World Peace International.

The theme continues. Rev. Moon also established the Peace Cup, an international professional soccer competition; the more casual Play Football, Make Peace program; and a Professors World Peace Academy for college-level academics.

Among other entities are a Global Peace Festival, a Global Peace Convention, a World Interfaith Harmony Week, iPeace TV, Universal Peace TV, the Universal Artists Association for World Peace and the International Peace Highway.

Rev. Moon envisioned a roadway linking multiple countries via asphalt, bridges, tunnels — framing the project as a modern-day Silk Road that would require the cooperation of many nations and thus generate cross-border understanding in difficult times.

“There will be no roadblocks. The entire world will be interconnected,” he reasoned.

The theme of peace and peacemaking remained a central theme of his work and thought to the end of his life.

Family As The Foundation

In 2011, the reverend linked his themes of peace and family explicitly in a conference in Abuja, Nigeria, as part of the Universal Peace Federation “Founder’s Peace Tour,” which attracted some 3,000 people to a country facing economic woes and religious tensions between its Muslim and Christian populations.

“The tradition of peace that God wants to see in Africa must be firmly established in the family,” Rev. Moon told the gathering. “Every family must establish a pure tradition. Then, even if the family’s fortunes go up and down, even as far as the sun falling below the horizon, eventually the light will return.”

In July, just weeks before he fell ill, Rev. Moon established a leadership organization for women meant to reintroduce a feminine perspective in peacemaking at the United Nations. It would signal “dramatic change,” Thomas G. Walsh, president of the Universal Peace Federation, told a crowd of 12,000 who gathered in Korea to celebrate the idea.

“The leaders who disregard or can’t look straight to the new global reality will be swept away by the changes surging like a tsunami,” Rev. Moon told his enthusiastic audience. “I believe that it is time now to go forward, daring to receive new opportunities and values.”

Sun Myung Moon Motivated To Bring End To Communism

Ben Wolfgang
September 2, 2012
The Washington Times

The legacy of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon will forever be tied to the fight to defeat communism, a cause to which he devoted much of his life’s work and, in the process, earned a place in history as a contributor to the end of the Cold War.

The fall of the Soviet Union was to Rev. Moon, who passed away early Monday in South Korea, much more than a changing of the guard in international politics. To him, it represented a landmark victory in a struggle between good and evil.

“Finally, in 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down and on Christmas Eve 1991, the Soviet empire collapsed after having held the world in fear for 74 years. I thank God that the free world prevailed in this historic struggle, which truly was an ideological battle over acknowledging God or not,” he said in 2002, speaking at a banquet celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Washington Times, which he founded.

“It is the principle that God works his will on Earth through human beings. I do not have the slightest doubt that God used The Washington Times to help bring an end to the most pernicious worldwide dictatorship in history and gave freedom to tens of millions of people,” he said.

But Rev. Moon’s efforts went far beyond decrying the Soviet Union and its communist ideology. While he never wavered in his vehement opposition to communism’s disregard for religion, Rev. Moon met with communist leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev in an attempt to build relationships with people with whom he disagreed.

His approach “sought peace and reconciliation and was respectful of the many accomplishments of the Soviet Union,” author Thomas J. Ward wrote in a 2008 essay. Mr. Ward also penned the book “March to Moscow: The Role of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon in the Collapse of Communism.”

“Rev. Moon’s constructive outreach to the communist world bore fruit in 1990 when he met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and began to develop projects in collaboration with the Soviet government,” Mr. Ward wrote. “This included bringing hundreds of legislators to the United States to dialogue with their political peers. … It also brought thousands of Soviet young people to the United States to learn about American culture and its underpinnings.”

During his trip to the Soviet Union, he told the Moscow News that his ultimate goal was to end tensions dividing humanity by promoting “dialogue between Muslims and Jews, between blacks and whites in South Africa and between Marxists and Christians,” The Washington Times reported at the time.

Government leaders who stood firm against the Soviet empire recognized the contributions made by Rev. Moon.

As president, Ronald Reagan often praised Rev. Moon’s work and that of The Times, which, especially in the 1980s, focused extensively on communism and its attempted expansion around the globe.

Reagan’s counterpart in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, also has extolled Rev. Moon’s efforts to speed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“It was not easy for Dr. Moon when he started The Washington Times,” she said in 2007 as the paper celebrated its 25th anniversary. “I mean the firm standing of the newspaper against Soviet communism and the support he gave to President Reagan and me for ending the Cold War.”

In 1991, Rev. Moon returned to North Korea, the land of his birthplace before the division of Korea, for a meeting with the nation’s communist leader, Kim Il-sung.

The fact that the North Korean government had imprisoned Rev. Moon for disturbing society in 1948 didn’t dissuade his return, and North Korea’s state media reported that the two men exchanged “warm conversation overflowing with the love of compatriots.”

Rev. Moon used the opportunity to express his unwavering desire to see the Korean Peninsula reunited.

“I am ready to lay down my life for national reunification,” he said during the trip, according to accounts by The Times.

Mr. Kim also recognized the growing influence Rev. Moon wielded in the U.S.

During the meeting, Mr. Kim asked Rev. Moon to arrange a meeting with President George H.W. Bush, though the desired meeting never took place.

Peace Cup Founder Sun Myung Moon Was Avid Sports Fan, Soccer Lover

John Haydon
September 2, 2012
The Washington Times

The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who passed away early Monday in South Korea, was an avid sports fan who sponsored fishing tournaments, founded South Korea’s most successful soccer club and created an international soccer event that attracted such famous clubs as Spain’s Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur of England, and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Rev. Moon loved to fish, and spent countless hours fishing for salmon in Alaska, for tuna in Gloucester, Mass., and recently for bass in Lake Mead, Nev.

But his greatest sports passion was soccer, a sport that he played as a young man, and one in which he later invested substantial resources, working with Brazilian star Pele to create the Peace Cup, which has featured some of the world’s biggest and most prestigious clubs.

In fact, Rev. Moon’s last public appearance was in July at the Peace Cup in Suwon, South Korea, where he awarded the championship trophy to German club Hamburg, a former European champion.

In 1989, Rev. Moon founded Ilhwa Chunma FC soccer team in Seoul, which was sponsored by the Ilhwa Ginseng Tea company, and nicknamed Chunma — the Unicorns. The club was based in a number of cities and ultimately settled in 2001 in Seongnam, a town one hour south of Seoul.

At first, the mayor of Seongnam wanted to expel the team because of the club’s affiliation with Rev. Moon's Unification Church. The mayor was running for re-election in the heavily Protestant town and used the attack on the team as part of his platform.

“It was a mixture of bigotry and political opportunism,” said Eoghan Sweeney, soccer writer for the Korea Times.

Fans demonstrated against the mayor by lying down in front of his car. The mayor relented, and Seongnam Ilhwa went on to win four Korean league titles, the Korean Cup knockout tournament and the Asian Champions League title in 2010, making it Korea’s most successful team.

It is not unusual for religious groups to run soccer teams in Korea. One of the league’s founding clubs was the Christian team Hallelujah FC.

Rev. Moon also established two soccer teams in Brazil: Atletico Sorocaba and CENE.

In 2003, Rev. Moon met with Pele in New York and founded the Peace Cup, which became a sought-after preseason tournament on the soccer calendar.

Pele called soccer “the beautiful game.” Rev. Moon preferred to call it the “game of peace” and said, “Through soccer, you can unite all peoples.”

In 2009, Real Madrid, along with its prized new asset Cristiano Ronaldo, competed in the fourth edition of the tournament in Spain, which featured four teams that have been European champions. That tournament also involved Italy’s Juventus, FC Porto of Portugal, Spanish side Sevilla FC and French club Olympique Lyon, but the $2.4 million prize went to English club Aston Villa.

“When you mention the word ‘peace,’ when you are trying to bring peace in the world, I will always be there,” Pele said in 2003 on why he worked with Rev. Moon.

At the conclusion of the 2005 tournament, Rev. Moon donated $1 million to promote youth soccer in the developing world. His Play Soccer, Make Peace youth program held events in 35 countries, including the troubled Gaza Strip.

After the success of the men’s Peace Cup, Rev. Moon in 2006 founded the Peace Queen Cup, which was won by the world-renowned U.S. women’s team starring Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly.

A North Korean women’s team was invited, but declined because of political circumstances. The North Koreans sent a rare letter to Rev. Moon, whose birthplace is in North Korea and who had met with the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung. In the letter, the North Koreans expressed regret about the tournament but commended the efforts of the program to bring peace on the divided peninsula

The Rev Sun Myung Moon Obituary

Christopher Reed
September 2, 2012
guardian.co.uk

The Rev Sun Myung Moon, who has died at 92. Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah, founded the Unification church in 1954. Photograph: Jo Yong-Hak/Reuters

A crucial test of a new religion is whether it transfers to the next generation after its founder's demise, and with the death of the Rev Sun Myung Moon at 92 after suffering from pneumonia, the prospects for his Unification church – or "Moonies" – look poor. More significant is the future of the lesser known side of this self-proclaimed messiah: his international business empire and his secretive influence on US conservative politics.

During the late 1970s and 80s, Moon was notorious for blessing mass marriages, and his disciples for spiriting away young men and women by luring them to isolated camps where they were "brainwashed" into abandoning their families.

The faithful endured 16-hour days of raising money and working for free on behalf of "Father", as Moon styled himself. As court cases mounted worldwide, and Moon lost a libel action against the Daily Mail in Britain in the early 1980s, the church abandoned such recruitment and adherents dwindled. By the 90s his new religion was clearly failing and with an unfriendly White House, he declared the church closed, although a website and New York office remained. But his business empire continued, despite heavy losses in the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

Considering Moon's documented history of extreme rightwing theocratic politics, antisemitism, constant rumours of sexual improprieties, his US imprisonment in 1982 for tax evasion, and, for Christians, an offensively blasphemous theology, it is difficult to understand how he was tolerated, even welcomed, by US presidents, politicians, clergymen and academics in America, Japan and Britain.

The answer might be hypocrisy – and Moon's money. But where did the billions come from? The ultimate source still defies scrutiny, although he was at one time backed by two Japanese billionaires, both selfproclaimed fascists, and there were rumours of financing by the Korean CIA. As early as 1978 Moon's nefarious activities were described in a congressional report, but his preposterous career and outrageous pronouncements continued. Here was a man who could not only truly testify to America's freedom of religion, but also that there almost anything was possible under religion's name.

Moon was born Yong Myung Mun in the impoverished village of Sangsa in what is now North Korea, but was then a Japanese colony. His family was Christian, and Moon attended local schools. At 15 he claimed to have seen a vision of Jesus, and agreed to the Saviour's request to "take over my work". Moon studied engineering in Tokyo, where he graduated in 1943, returned home and married his first wife, then aged 19, but unmentioned in church histories. (Moon is variously reported as married twice, three, or four times and his children, including those allegedly out of wedlock, are put at anything from eight to 16.)

Following the Japanese surrender after the second world war, Moon lived in Seoul and attended a Christian church where the pastor preached that Korea was the new Israel and would produce a messiah, a message Moon soon exploited. He quit this church and, leaving his young family, went north where Pyongyang seethed with evangelical fervour. Moon began preaching his own neo-Israel prophecy which allegedly included stipulations that allowed him to have sex with female congregants.

In 1948 the communists charged him with preaching a messianic message and he was sentenced to five years in a labour camp, where he endured terrible privations. US bombers destroyed the camp in 1950, killing 275, but Moon escaped, headed south and began preaching again.

In 1954 he formed the Unification church and it grew quickly. He sent his first missionary to America in 1960, the year he married his surviving wife, Hak Ja Han. She was groomed to lead the church after his oldest surviving son was enveloped in drink, drugs and wife-beating scandal in the late 1990s.

Moon moved to America in 1972 and his rightwing views soon brought entry to Republican circles. He was feted at huge rallies, met Richard Nixon and, during the Watergate scandal, fasted on the Capitol steps for three days while imploring God not to let Nixon be impeached (he wasn't).

But Moon's business practices had aroused suspicions and in 1978, after the Koreagate bribery scandal, the congressional subcommittee on international organisations issued a damning report on the Moon church, which it described as "a multinational corporation … a paramilitary organisation … and a tightly disciplined international political party". It added: "Among [its] goals is establishment of a worldwide government in which the separation of church and state would be abolished, and which would be governed by Moon and his followers." The committee's recommendation of further investigation of illegalities was dropped at Ronald Reagan's election as president in 1980.

Moon prospered under Reaganism. At this time he was backed by two Japanese tycoons that the US occupation had formerly imprisoned as war criminals. One was Yoshio Kodama, a yakuza (Japanese gangster) boss and organiser of fascist secret societies. Kodama made millions looting Manchuria in the war, and died in 1984 while awaiting trial in the Japanese Lockheed bribery scandal. The other was Ryoichi Sasakawa, who also made millions in the war and died in 1995. In the 1970s, when he controlled the $14bn Japanese motor-boat racing business, Sasakawa described himself as "the world's richest fascist".

During the 80s Moon expanded his worldwide business empire. At various times he owned or controlled a car plant in China; a titanium mine, weapons factory, and Tong Il Heavy Industries in South Korea; huge land tracts in South America; a smart hotel in New York; a fishery in Alaska; a golf course in California; a computer firm in Japan; a small arms company and a university in New England; newspapers in Korea, Argentina, Japan, and the conservative Washington Times in the US capital, which he founded in 1982; a symphony orchestra and ballet company; a cable TV network; the UPI press agency; a New York publishing house; Insight magazine; and countless restaurants, jewellery businesses and other firms. His home was a 30-room mansion in New Jersey.

After Moon's release from a US prison after serving 13 months he was still welcomed by the great and good. At various times he met or received support from British prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and Edward Heath, ex-presidents Gerald Ford and George Bush Snr, Canadian ex-premier Brian Mulroney, US senators Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, William Fulbright and Orrin Hatch, Reagan's defence secretary Caspar Weinberger, former Nato chief general Alexander Haig, former US education secretary William Bennett, Boston University president John Silber, Christian Coalition ex-chief Ralph Reed, and rightwing Christian leader the Rev Jerry Falwell.

These connections survived Moon's increasingly embarrassing activities – his sermons dwelling on the "sexual organs", his description of American women as descended from prostitutes, family scandals, the Rabbinic court condemnation for antisemitism and a vow to "conquer and subjugate the world".

When George Bush became president in 2001 and proposed subsidising church charities, Moon renewed his interest in America and sponsored, through one of his myriad front organisations, a Republican campaign to foster the idea. Uncle Sam's embrace of the crooked cleric continued.

In March 2004 a dozen Republican and Democrat politicians attended a Moon reception for 300 in the Dirksen senate office building, at which congressman Danny Davis, an Illinois Democrat, presented the self-proclaimed messiah with an ornate crown on a pillow. Moon donned it and delivered a long speech in which he said his teachings had helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons".

He was reported as saying he was sent to Earth to save its people and that "emperors, kings and presidents have declared to all heaven and Earth that the Rev Moon is none other than humanity's saviour, messiah, returning Lord and true parent".

When these details appeared in Salon.com weeks later, many politicians attending claimed they did not realise what would happen, or even that Moon would be present. Some Republicans said they went only to honour Moon as owner of the Washington Times.

But, it was pointed out, the invitation had stated that the "primary programme sponsor" would be "the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace founded by the Rev Dr and Mrs Sun Myung Moon, who will also be recognised for their lifelong work to promote inter-faith co-operation and reconciliation".

Moon's youngest son, the Rev Hyung-jin Moon, was named the church's top religious director in April 2008. Other sons and daughters were put in charge of the church's business and charitable activities in South Korea and abroad.

In 2009, Moon married 45,000 people in simultaneous ceremonies worldwide in his first large-scale mass wedding in years. Some were newlyweds and others reaffirmed their vows.

Moon is survived by Hak Ja Han and 10 children.

Sun Myung Moon, church founder and businessman, born 25 February 1920; died 2 September 2012

Rev. Sun Myung Moon Dies at Age 92

UPI
September 2, 2012

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, died early Monday in South Korea. He was 92.

Moon died at 1:54 a.m. at a hospital at the Cheong Pyeong church complex outside of Seoul of complications arising from pneumonia that led to the shutdown of other organs, including his kidneys, a church official said.

"I lament the passing of my father but I know that his spirit and legacy will live on," said Hyun Jin Moon, also known as Preston Moon, the Rev. Moon and Mrs. Moon's oldest living son. "His vision has inspired so many forward-thinking people to see beyond the barriers that divide humanity -- be they national, racial, or, most of all, religious.

"Sadly, some people, including many of his followers, see him merely as the founder of yet another church. Yet to me and countless others whom he has touched, his vision is so much greater than that. I will continue to work to give meaning and substance to his legacy."

Sun Myung Moon was born Feb. 20, 1920, in what is now North Pyongan province, North Korea, and established his first church in 1954. His following grew to an estimated 7 million members and he led large gatherings in which he conducted mass weddings for as many as 2,000 couples.

Moon was also involved with a series of charitable and business interests. Those include the Universal Peace Federation and the Peace Cup soccer tournament. The Unification Church also became involved with a series of business interests, which included founding The Washington Times newspaper; the Tongil Group, a South Korean chaebol (a chaebol is a Korean global conglomerate); and, for a time, ownership of United Press International.

Sun Myung Moon is survived by his wife Hak Ja Han Moon and 11 children.

Preston Moon is chairman of the UCI Group, which currently owns UPI.

Since True Father Arrived at Chung Pyung

Tim Elder
September 1, 2012

September 1, 2012

It has been 24 hours since True Father arrived at the Cheongshim International Medical Center in Gapyeong.

Unfortunately, I am being told his condition has not improved during that time. In fact, it is moving in the opposite direction.

I will continue to update with any information that I am able to obtain.

September 2, 2012

I have no new information today on True Father's condition. It seems clear he is still not showing signs of significant improvement.

There is concern we may be drawing closer to the time when Father's physical body can no longer be sustained and he will transition to the spirit world. Even if that happens, the complete unity of True Parents means there will be no interruption in the work of the Providence. 

The Latest News About True Father

Joon Ho Seuk
September 1, 2012

Beloved brothers and sisters of the Unification Family throughout the world, I would like to inform all our brothers and sisters who are on the alert for updates on True Father, concerned and worried even at this moment while offering intense Jeong Seong, that True Father has safely arrived at the Cheongshim International Medical Center in Chung Pyung.

Yesterday (7.14 by the heavenly calendar / August 31, 2012) True Father departed the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital at 6:40 PM and safely arrived at the Cheongshim International Medical Center at around 7:40 PM. As I had earlier informed our members, True Father's doctor, Dr. Chun, and Dr. Kim, who is in overall charge of patients with respiratory disorders at the intensive care unit of the St. Mary's Hospital, accompanied True Father in the ambulance and oversaw the entire process of the transfer. Two veteran nurses who were exclusively in charge of True Father at the intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital and Chairman Kook Jin Moon, representing the True Family, were also in the ambulance and, while offering Jeong Seong, stayed at True Father's side all the way to Cheongshim Hospital.

After arriving, True Father was brought to the special room (a private room for True Father's use) at Cheongshim International Medical Center. The doctors and nurses who accompanied Father from St. Mary's Hospital and the doctors and nurses at Cheongshim International Medical Center were of one heart and mind in safely preparing True Father's room, bringing in the machines that were used at St. Mary's Hospital and setting them up alongside the facilities at Cheongshim Hospital, which had been prepared to perfection.

Brothers and sisters, True Mother earlier (on 7.1 by the heavenly calendar) clarified that what is important to us at this time, and what we should be doing more than anything else, is offering Jeong Seong for True Father, rather than simply focusing on the details of Father's health condition. Let us therefore continue to offer prayer and special Jeong Seong without interruption so that our Jeong Seong can reach Heaven and True Father's physical body can miraculously recover.

With this message, the daily updates on True Father's condition which I have been sharing with you will be tentatively suspended. I will immediately convey updates to you in the event of any special occurrences in the course of True Father's treatment.

Thank you.

7.15 by the heavenly calendar (September 1, 2012)

Dr. Joon Ho Seuk
International Vice-President
Unification Church
President of the Korean Church 

Our Realization that Father's Life on Earth Was Near Its End

Peter Kim
August 31, 2012
Excerpts
Cheon Bok Gung
Seoul, Korea

I would like to say a few words, as one of True Parents' staff members, about how True Father left the hospital on August 12, traveled to Cheon Jeong Gung and then returned late the following day to the same hospital, Seoul St. Mary's, where he was then admitted to the intensive care unit. Our international president, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, has given a detailed explanation of Father's situation at the last two Sunday services, on August 19 and August 26. A detailed letter on Father's condition from international vice-president Dr. Joon Ho Seuk was sent out on August 30. From his words you have gained some understanding of both the spiritual and practical aspects. He expressed that it is not important to know Father's precise medical condition, but rather, what is important is the prayer we are offering for him and what conditions we are making.

On August 3, Father was admitted to Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (known in Korean as Seong Mo -- Holy Mother Hospital) and over the ensuing ten days received every possible medical test, including several x-rays, PET CT blood tests -- every test he could possibly need. During the days that Father was receiving all these tests, we would sit with him. He would watch the Olympic Games on television. He would sit down for three, four or five hours at a time and cheer on the players, cheer the soccer games. This is how he spent the time.

Even though he was in some discomfort, he spent that period in an ordinary private room at the hospital, but not in the intensive care unit. On the morning of August 12, expressing his iron resolve, he gave the strong instruction, "I must go to Cheon Jeong Gung." The doctor wanted to stop him leaving the hospital. Hyung Jin Nim and Kook Jin Nim wanted to keep him there. Mother caught hold of Father and asked him to please remain there. She also wanted to stop him going. But Father, perhaps for some providential reason, was very stubborn. So on August 12, we brought Father back to Cheon Jeong Gung.

From the afternoon of that day to the evening of the next day, he remained at Cheon Jeong Gung for about twenty-four hours. During that twenty-four hours, we became deeply concerned about how Father looked.

On the third floor of Cheon Jeong Gung, Father went from this room to that in his wheelchair. Sang Soo Lee, Father's driver and personal assistant, mentioned that Father had said he would go to the East, West, North and South in Cheon Jeong Gung.

He went around holding people's hands. He entered the Hoon Dok Hae room and touched the table at which he and Mother would sit during Hoon Dok Hae. He touched everything with his hands, and now and then he would say, "Please be well."

Father looked at everything. Those things he could not touch with his hands he observed with his eyes. As he did this, he held Mother's hand tightly, and said "Mother, thank you." This he repeated from time to time. He asked True Mother and others who were with them to sit down. He said, "This is my last prayer," and then he prayed.

At the conclusion of his prayer, he said, "I have completed everything." All together during that day, as I recall, he said this four times.

During the night, he stayed awake and spoke to those who were caring for him and to Mother, cautioning them and giving guidance. Sometimes I couldn't fully understand what he said. But he continued on. And when morning came, Father said he must do a tour and see the different places in the Cheonwon [Heavenly Garden] holy ground and asked for a car to be brought. Father was actually not in any condition to go out in a car, however. Mother and the assistants all wanted to stop Father from going. Seeing Father's condition, and knowing the danger of his going anywhere in a car, we asked him not to go. Yet, how could we know the providential schedule set by Heaven? We wanted to stop him, but he was in no way swayed by our entreaties.

We brought him down from the palace to the Cheongshim Middle and High School in the SUV he always uses.

He stepped out of the car at the little park in front of the Cheongshim Middle and High School, and stayed there a short while. He looked at the little pond, and at first I thought that Father might have wanted to walk around. But after observing for a short while, he got back in the car.

We went back to Cheon Jeong Gung, and he remained there for a little. Maybe I am using rather plain language, but his breathing was labored, he was breathing quite rapidly and seemed to be in some discomfort as he sat on the sofa.

Seeing Father in this state, Mother asked Hoon Mo Nim and me in the hallway; "What is best to do for Father? Shouldn't I take him back to the hospital? You must help me." So we went back into the room and Mother took hold of Father's knees as he sat there, and Mother, while kneeling on the floor, said, "Father please come with me to the hospital. Let's go to your hospital, Cheongshim hospital." Normally Father would remonstrate and scold at such a suggestion, but on this occasion he gave his consent. Moreover, he said, "Yes, thank you Mother."

So they took Father straight to the Cheongshim hospital, (about 3 kilometers from the Cheon Jeong Gung). At the hospital, there is a room with a bed for Father, and all the furnishings; everything is prepared. (A section of Cheongshim International Medical Center was kept in readiness in case True Father should ever need treatment.) Father rested for a short while, and slept for about thirty minutes.

Over the preceding three weeks, Father had not been able to eat very much. When Mother begged him to, he would swallow one or two spoons of rice. While he was at the Cheongshim hospital we heard that he ate a few spoonfuls of rice soup and drank some water.

Then it seemed again as if his strength failed him, and he was coughing. He was in great difficulty. We didn't know what was causing this. Then I felt that Heaven worked through Mother. Seeing how Father was in such difficulty, Mother said something into Father's ear. As I understood later, what she said to Father was, "I will bring you back to St. Mary's hospital again." Mother was seeking Father's consent to this idea, and it seemed that Father gave his permission. Mother told them to bring the car; there was no time to prepare an ambulance. The car was brought down. There were two nurses from Cheongshim hospital attending him at his side. They brought two oxygen tanks. One of the nurses only had her indoor slippers on, having had no time to put on her shoes.

We have a big American SUV that Father uses. It has a special step that conies down that allows someone to get in easily. Moreover, if you take an ambulance, you have to lie down and be strapped in. So the doctor said to take the SUV that Father always used, in which Father had a special chair that he could sit on comfortably. Father sat in the car, put on his seat belt and was breathing from the oxygen tanks. The doctor said this would be best. So Father went in the SUV, with two nurses with him.

They sped to St. Mary's hospital. We did not know why, but on the way to the hospital, Father began breathing in quick breaths. When we were still fifteen or twenty minutes from the hospital, Father was hardly able to breathe.

You can imagine how the people in the vehicle felt at this point. The nurses didn't know what to do and could only tremble. The vehicle raced at such a high speed, often going off onto the shoulder to get around traffic, that we thought we might all die. We just raced along at a desperate speed and finally made it to the hospital.

At St. Mary's, Father's attending physical, Dr. Jeon, and all the doctors specializing in respiratory problems who had already gone home, as well as many nurses, came rushing toward Father. Some had not even taken time to dress fully, they came so quickly to give Father emergency treatment in a hospital room for general patients. I don't know exactly what medical equipment they were using during that time.... Emergency care was administered to Father for an hour or so in a very serious manner.

Father was brought to the intensive care unit. It was already after midnight. It took another hour and a half to set up everything for Father. We were then informed that Father was in a deep sleep, that we should not worry so much, and we could go home. We spoke with the doctor for a long time. We spent that night and early morning there. Then back again we went to the intensive care unit.

Dr. Jeon told us that if we had arrived at St. Mary's even thirty minutes later than we did, Father would have died. He asked who had made this correct decision so quickly. We told him that Mother had made the decision after looking carefully observing Father's face. She had been able to gain Father's consent also. He said he was truly impressed at Mother's having made such a wise decision....

Father's situation has been stabilized; he cannot move and is being treated continuously. With his holy body in such a situation, he is being given sedatives so he can continue to sleep soundly. Depending on the amount of the sedative administered, sometimes he has opened his eyes a little or moved his toes a little, while at other times he has not responded at all -- even when Mother approached him and said, into his ear, "Father, Father, I've come. I have a letter here from Shin Joon," and read it aloud to him.

About an hour before visiting time began, the amount of sedatives administered was reduced as much as possible to help him become conscious, and Mother and the True Children were led in to visit him. This is what the doctors did.

After that, when Mother held his hand tight or Kook Jin Nim held his hand and spoke to him about this or that, beginning with "We love you" and continuing to say other things, at times Father responded a little with his hand. Thus, we continued the process of helping Father in fighting his illness, comforting him and nursing him.

However, from yesterday, the sedatives were virtually stopped. The hospital where Father is, is one of the five best hospitals in Korea, isn't it? Seoul St. Mary's Hospital provides all kinds of services made possible by their state-of-the-art medical skills. Under the circumstances, the hospital, out of consideration, created an opportunity for Father to communicate with Mother and his family. So when Mother, accompanied by me, went in yesterday morning, Father's eyes were open. When Mother talked about Shin Joon Nim and Shin Pyeon Nim and how they had drawn pictures and written letters for him, he moved his eyes this way and that, and we felt that Father was responding to us. It had been a long time since I had seen this. He did not, however, move his hands, nod his head or give any other indications. While maintaining that state, he closed his eyes.

I am there every day with Mother and other members of the True Family as they are nursing Father during his illness, offering devotions and watching over him, and it hurts my heart to watch them.

Knowing that at various major hospitals in Korea there are renowned experts in diseases of the lung and respiratory system, Dr. Peter Kim and Dr. Bo Hi Pak took it upon themselves to drive to Seoul National University Hospital and seek out a second opinion on Father's condition. There, with the help of a doctor who had treated Dr. Pak some time before, they visited experts. Dr. Kim continues his description of events:

We pushed our way into the office of a Professor Han, without making an appointment in advance. He is said to be a distinguished authority in Korea on illnesses related to the lungs and the respiratory system. We found him in his shirtsleeves, and though he is like the godfather of that office, we went in. We asked him to sit down, explained Father's symptoms to him, and asked his advice. In tears, Dr. Pak and I asked for his opinion.

He told us that when a patient is admitted into an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with respiratory or lung-related illnesses, the doctor who is in charge of the ICU knows best how to deal with the symptoms and give treatment.

He then said that a Prof. Yu was in the room three doors away from his, and he suggested we go see him. So, we barged in on Prof. Yu. He was surprised, and protested, "How can you do this?" We explained to him about Father's condition and his symptoms. At the end of our explanation he said, "You don't need to say anymore." I asked him what he meant, and he said, "I am not a Unification Church member or even a Christian. I see ten, twenty, thirty patients a day with the symptoms you've described, since I am the doctor in charge of the ICU. I am well aware of how renowned Rev. Moon is, but since we are now in a doctor -- patient relationship, may I speak frankly about him?"

I immediately responded, "Please speak frankly." Then he looked into our eyes and stated, "He is too far gone. And I believe he has already been headed that way for quite a while. In fact, there is zero possibility of Rev. Moon regaining his lung function and being able to speak again and lead an almost normal life."

My dear members, think about it. When we heard from the lips of the most qualified doctor in Korea that the possibility was zero, Dr. Pak and I wept in front of him. Until then, we had continued to pray, and we had believed there was a remote chance; we had been ready to even grasp at straws. So when we heard what amounted to a sentence of death, we felt as if the skies were falling down upon us.

After sitting there weeping, Dr. Pak and I went down to the lobby and talked for a long time, asking ourselves, "Should we tell this to Mother or not?" Our conclusion was that we must tell her, and that the True Children should also be told about it. Therefore, after discussing the matter fully, we returned to St. Mary's hospital and told Mother and the True Children everything.

When we had finished speaking, Mother went into a small room, locked the door and wept her heart out. For a long time she stayed in that room, weeping, unable to come out. Then she said, "Oh, we must talk to the doctors in charge of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and see what their opinion is!" So we called for Father's doctor and asked him frankly.

When we had posed the question, Father's doctor also said, "We were reluctant to say it outright in front of the patient's family members, who were clinging to him with religious faith and praying for him. We were waiting for the right time to tell them the same thing."

Prof. Kim, the doctor in charge of the ICU also said the same thing. Though we were dismayed and sorrowful, we then felt that we could not just sit there and do nothing. Mother and the True Children, feeling the urgency of the moment, had asked for Rev. Young Hwi Kim, Dr. Bo Hi Pak, Rev. Jae Seok Lee, and Joon Ho Seuk, the Korean church president, to come. Hoon Mo Nim was also there, because she had been the one who brought Mother to the hospital. So on August 28, they and Kook Jin Nim, Hyung Jin Nim and I sat down together and held an emergency meeting. (I call it that for want of a better word.)

We said many things in that meeting. Mother asked each of us, "So, Young Hwi, what do you think?" "Rev. Jae Seok Lee, what's your opinion?" After we had fully exchanged our opinions, she said, and it pains me to repeat it, "Now all we can do is pray for a miracle, but miracles are wrought by Heaven and we are not the ones who can decide. We should continue to offer devotions to the end, however, and the most important thing right now is to protect Father's holy body."

As we later observed, further complications began to appear from the very next day. Father's liver was failing rapidly, and his liver function deteriorated to the point where it could barely function at all. He still needed machines on both sides of him to pump oxygen into his blood at the maximum rate. He was suffering. We learned that the next stage of complications would be that his heart would be affected, and the moment this happened would be determined by how long his liver could continue to work. When his heart became affected, every organ in his body would fail.

Knowing this, Mother had said, "We must protect Father's holy body." She did not want them piercing him here and there, going into his arteries and veins, and the hospital had suggested certain procedures that would have required this. Mother became worried that Father might be placed in the same circumstances as Jesus when Jesus was crucified.

Since it was their medical opinion that recovery was impossible, why should they try to do things that were impossible? Therefore, we should protect his holy body. Such was the gist of what she said, and we need to understand Mother's heart and intention.

Mother also spoke based on the Confucian traditions. She said, "Father came as the Second Coming of the Messiah." (She had said something similar to Father's doctor, Dr. Jeon, even though he is not a member of our church.) She said, "Father came as the Second Corning of the Messiah because Jesus was unable to fulfill his responsibility, and we cannot defile the holy body of the returned Messiah if there is no possibility of his recovery, just because the hospital wants to do it as part of their procedure. And if Father were to pass away in any hospital or medical center away from Cheon Jeong Gung, which is his eternal holy ground and home, or the Chung Pyung holy ground complex, by Confucian tradition it would be said that he had passed away in a strange place, away from home. I cannot accept this."

I hope you realize how sorrowful and anguished her heart was as she said this. She then asked us to come up with a plan for what we should do. Everyone answered that we understood her intention and that we should take Father to Cheongshim International Medical Center, where the entire eighth floor could be prepared for his arrival. Thus, we were determined to take him away from the ICU, which was full of patients dying and screaming and yelling, not to mention germs flying everywhere. We were determined to take him to Cheongshim hospital but to continue to treat him with the best equipment and medical skills, which could be provided by the ICU of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, the best hospital in Korea. We agreed to this unanimously. [All specialized medical equipment was transferred from St. Mary's to Cheongshim International Medical Center. Both Father's main doctor at St. Mary's and that hospital's ICU respiratory specialist accompanied Father in the ambulance and agreed to see him subsequently.]

Kook Jin Nim and Hyung Jin Nim also suggested to Mother:Mother, Father is not just your husband and our father. He is the cosmic, the first, and possibly the last public figure in all of the spirit world and the earthly world. Therefore, we should at the least disclose the process of Father's illness, and what condition he is in no to the blessed families and other members of the Unification Church, who have held true to their belief in True Father. Only then can they hang on to Heaven and pray for a miracle all together. Isn't that the case?

Consequently, Mother said yes, and everyone else at that emergency meeting agreed that it was a good idea. After all, the policy that Kook Jin Nim usually follows when running the foundation is transparency.

That is why we cannot hide True Father's condition. He has come in the public position of the returning Lord. We must inform our members honestly of the present situation, so that they can be aware. This was why you received international vice-president Dr. Seuk's letter yesterday. 

Unification Church Founder Sun Myung Moon in Critical Condition

Stoyan Zaimov
August 31, 2012
Christian Post Reporter

South Korean evangelist Reverend Moon Sun-myung and his wife Han Hak-ja (R) bless newlyweds during a mass wedding ceremony at Sun Moon University in Asan, south of Seoul October 14, 2009.

The Rev. Sun Myung Moon of South Korea's Unification Church has been moved to a private hospital near his home after officials revealed his condition has grown worse.

Moon previously had been visiting a specialist in Japan to treat his pneumonia, but the 92-year-old multibillion-dollar media and self-professed messiah will need further care back in South Korea.

"Our prayers will hopefully work better in Gapyeong," commented church spokesman Ahn Ho-yeol as reported by The Associated Press. Ahn noted that Moon had developed further complications involving his kidney and liver.

"Seoul St. Mary's Hospital notified us that, as Rev. Moon's hospitalization period prolongs, complications arise and there is no way to improve his condition with modern medical technology," a statement from the church added.

The Washington Times, which Moon founded, notes that for a while, Moon's condition seemed to be improving, and it was only during the last few days that doctors said that the controversial church leader had entered "an irreversible stage of his condition."

Joon Ho Seuk, international vice president of the Unification Church wrote: "In reality, he is currently sustaining his life with the assistance of various machines" and "we have reached the point at which this stark reality cannot be reversed."

The Unification Church is considered controversial in mainstream Christian circles because Moon declares himself to be a messiah called by Jesus at the age of 15 to fulfill the Son of God's unfinished work on earth.

A Christian Post report on religious cults details the ways in which Moon's denomination differs from mainstream Christianity, such as his belief that people need to be married in order to enter heaven.

Moon's last public appearance in South Korea came in July, when he attended the opening and closing ceremonies of the Peace Cup soccer tournament, which was won by German club Hamburger SV and sponsored by the Unification Church.

The church was founded in 1954 by Moon, but has grown to attract between five to seven million members worldwide and has a presence in over 200 countries.

Sun Myung Moon ‘On Life Support’

Reuters
August 31 2012

Reverend Moon Sun-myung, head of the Unification Church

Seoul - The illness of Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon is “irreversible”, the church said on Friday, after he was hospitalised with complications from pneumonia more than two weeks ago.

Moon, 92, has critical organ failure and is on life support, it said in a statement.

Spokesman Ahn Ho-Yeol told AFP that Moon would be transferred from Seoul's St Mary's Hospital later on Friday to a medical centre at the church's estate east of the capital.

Treating him on “holy ground” would have “greater providential significance”, the church's International Vice-President Joon Ho Seuk said in a statement.

Seuk said that Moon's condition had appeared to be improving for a while, but in the past few days his doctors reported he had entered “an irreversible stage of his condition”.

Moon's “kidneys have ceased to function, and the function of his liver is deteriorating rapidly”, he said. “He can no longer sustain his life without the supply of oxygen artificially produced by a machine.

“In these circumstances, the officials at Seoul St Mary's Hospital informed us that 'there is no longer any way to improve True Father's condition through modern medical technology',” said Seuk.

The phrase “True Father” refers to Moon, who the church says is “the one and only messiah in human history”.

“The seven billion people of this world should stay up all night in prayer wishing for the recovery of True Father, who is so precious and dear to all of us, as he fights against his illness,” Seuk said.

The Unification Church, set up by Moon in Seoul in 1954, is one of the world's most controversial religious organisations, and its devotees are often dubbed “Moonies” after the founder.

It is widely known for conducting mass weddings among followers involving thousands of couples. It says it evangelises in some 200 countries and according to another spokesman has some three million followers worldwide.

The church has a vast business empire, including The Washington Times newspaper, Manhattan's New Yorker Hotel and interests in North Korea, where Moon was born. He visited the country in 1991 to meet then-president Kim Il-Sung. - Sapa-AFP

Self-Proclaimed Messiah Sun Myung Moon Struggling for Life in South Korea

Gianluca Mezzofiore
August 31, 2012

Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who has been taken to a church-owned hospital.

The health condition of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the self-proclaimed South Korean messiah, has worsened and he has been taken to a church-owned hospital near his home.

Moon, 92, is suffering from pneumonia and a Japanese specialist is trying to treat him, according to a statement from his own Unification Church.

The founder of a successful religious and business empire, Moon preaches that he represents the Second Coming of the Messiah promised in the Bible.

The Unification Church owns an extensive portfolio including The Washington Times newspaper, the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, Bridgeport University in Connecticut and hospitals in South Korea and Japan.

"Seoul St. Mary's Hospital notified us that, as Rev. Moon's hospitalisation period prolongs, complications arise and there is no way to improve his condition with modern medical technology," a statement from the church said.

"Family members and church executives decided through meeting to continue his medical treatment, along with believers' prayer and sincere care, in Cheongshim Medical Center in Chungpyeong, a shrine for the church he founded."

The Church has made headlines all over the world for its mass weddings, in which thousands of people meet their spouse shortly before getting married. It has also drawn criticism for allegations of brainwashing its members, called Moonies. Also, Moon's conservative political and social views have often been ridiculed.

Moon was born in North Korea during the period of Japanese occupation. Five younger siblings died from starvation in one year when he was young. In the late 1940s, he was sent to a labour camp by North Korea's communist leadership for being religious.

He became a staunch anti-communist as soon as he moved to the South. However military leaders in Seoul became worried about his growing influence on public opinion and also jailed him.

Sharing Today's News About True Father

Joon Ho Seuk
August 31, 2012

Sent to all regional headquarters and mission nations

This is to inform you that True Father was safely transferred from the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital to the Cheongshim International Medical Center in Chung Pyung this evening, August 31 (Korea time).

More details will be provided soon.

Thank you for all your prayers, fasting conditions and Jeong Seong until now, and let us all continue with these spiritual offerings for True Father's recovery.

7.14 by the heavenly calendar in the 3rd year of Cheon-gi (August 31, 2012)

Sincerely,

Unification Church
World Mission Headquarters

Report: Rev. Moon's Health Condition Worsens

Cheryl Wetzstein
August 31, 2012
The Washington Times

Unification Church head and Washington Times founder the Rev. Sun Myung Moon has been moved to a private complex in Korea where he can be surrounded by family as his health has taken a turn for the worse, a Unification Church leader said. The 92-year-old evangelist has been in intensive-care treatment for pneumonia at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital since Aug. 13.

"For a while, it appeared that [Rev. Moon's] condition was improving; however, during the last few days, the doctors reported that he has entered an irreversible stage of his condition," Joon Ho Seuk, international vice president of the Unification Church, said in an Aug. 28 memo to members that was made public Friday in Seoul.

"In reality, he is currently sustaining his life with the assistance of various machines" and "we have reached the point at which this stark reality cannot be reversed," Mr. Seuk wrote.

The religious leader's illness has led to loss of kidney function and deterioration in the liver function, Mr. Seuk wrote. "He can no longer sustain his life without the supply of oxygen artificially produced by a machine."

This week, Rev. Moon's wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, and several of the couple's children and church elders made the decision to transfer Rev. Moon to Cheongshim International Medical Center, a hospital in the Chung Pyung church complex, according to church officials.

Rev. Moon's primary doctors, a respiratory specialist and veteran nurses will be on hand to care for him around the clock, as well as Mrs. Moon and other members of his family, the statement said, and specialist has been brought in from Japan to assist in the treatment.

Rev. Moon, one of the most recognized Koreans in the world, founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, commonly known as the Unification Church, in 1954, and founded The Washington Times in 1982.

Church officials say the Unification Church now has a presence in over 200 countries and millions of followers worldwide. Among the church's other interests are hospitals, schools and universities, a newspaper in South Korea, Manhattan's New Yorker Hotel, and properties in North Korea, where the Reverend Moon was born.

Rev. Moon's last public appearance came in July, when he participated in the ceremonies opening and closing the Peace Cup soccer tournament in South Korea sponsored by the Unification Church. 

Rev. Moon Sun-Myung, Not Improving, Heads to Church Complex

Evan Ramstad
August 31, 2012

Rev. Moon Sun-myung, founder of the Unification Church, in February 2011 file photo

Rev. Moon Sun-myung is not getting better, the Unification Church announced on Friday, and the decision has been made to take him out of a hospital in Seoul and to one at the church’s major complex east of the city.

“Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital notified us that, as Rev. Moon’s hospitalization period prolongs, complications arise and there is no way to improve his condition with modern medical technology,” a statement from the church said.

“Family members and church executives decided through meeting to continue his medical treatment, along with believers’ prayer and sincere care, in Cheongshim Medical Center in Chungpyeong, a shrine for the church he founded,” it said.

Mr. Moon, 92 years old, went into the hospital on Aug. 13 with pneumonia. He is one of the most recognized Koreans in the world.

Joon Ho Seuk and Peter Kim Brief Members on Father's Health Situation

Tim Elder
August 31, 2012

Dr. Joon Ho Seuk and Rev. Peter Kim briefed members on Father's situation this morning at Cheong Bok Gung. The crowd filled both the main sanctuary and an overflow room on the same floor. There must have been about 2,000 people there.

Dr. Seuk did not go beyond what he already said in the letter to members that was released Thursday evening. If you have not seen it, please refer to the copy poste...d on the Tongil Foundation Facebook page.

Rev. Kim gave additional details about the course of events and the decisions that were made along the way. He also told us about the very desperate efforts by True Mother and the True Children at each juncture to find the correct path to follow.

The emotional and physical toll on the True Family has been tremendous. At one point, Hyung Jin Nim collapsed, hit his head on the stone floor and had to be treated in the emergency room for a few hours. He is alright now.

When True Mother was informed of the doctors' opinion that modern medicine could do nothing more for Father, she went into a room where she could be alone and wept out loud.

Rev. Kim quoted her as later telling the people around her, "All we can do now is pray for a miracle. But whether the miracle happens is Heaven's decision, not ours."

Let's all pray and offer Jeong Seong for this miracle.

---

One person asked me why True Father wasn't taken to Cheongshim Hospital earlier. The answer is that St. Mary's Hospital, one of the best hospitals in Korea, has a higher standard of medical care.

Now, modern medicine cannot help him any further and the only hope we have is for a miracle. So he is being moved back to Chung Pyung, where a miracle is more likely to occur. 

Illness of Unification Church's Founder Sun Myung Moon 'Irreversible'

Agence France-Presse
August 31, 2012

The illness of Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon is "irreversible", the church said Friday, after he was hospitalised with complications from pneumonia more than two weeks ago.

Moon, 92, has critical organ failure and is on life support, it said in a statement.

Spokesman Ahn Ho-Yeol told AFP that Moon would be transferred from Seoul's St Mary's Hospital later Friday to a medical centre at the church's estate east of the capital.

Treating him on "holy ground" would have "greater providential significance", the church's International Vice-President Joon Ho Seuk said in a statement.

Seuk said that Moon's condition had appeared to be improving for a while, but in the past few days his doctors reported he had entered "an irreversible stage of his condition".

Moon's "kidneys have ceased to function, and the function of his liver is deteriorating rapidly", he said. "He can no longer sustain his life without the supply of oxygen artificially produced by a machine.

"In these circumstances, the officials at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital informed us that 'there is no longer any way to improve True Father's condition through modern medical technology'," said Seuk.

The phrase "True Father" refers to Moon, who the church says is "the one and only messiah in human history".

"The seven billion people of this world should stay up all night in prayer wishing for the recovery of True Father, who is so precious and dear to all of us, as he fights against his illness," Seuk said.

The Unification Church, set up by Moon in Seoul in 1954, is one of the world's most controversial religious organisations, and its devotees are often dubbed "Moonies" after the founder.

It is widely known for conducting mass weddings among followers involving thousands of couples. It says it evangelises in some 200 countries and according to another spokesman has some three million followers worldwide.

The church has a vast business empire, including The Washington Times newspaper, Manhattan's New Yorker Hotel and interests in North Korea, where Moon was born. He visited the country in 1991 to meet then-president Kim Il-Sung.

Unification Church Founder Sun Myung Moon's Condition Worsens

The Associated Press
August 30, 2012

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Unification Church says the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's condition has worsened and he will be moved to a church-owned hospital near his home.

Moon is a self-proclaimed messiah whose church runs a worldwide multibillion-dollar religious and business empire that includes the hospital.

Officials said Friday that the church founder has developed new complications since being hospitalized for pneumonia at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital earlier this month. Officials say doctors in Seoul say they cannot cure him. The complications involve Moon's kidney and liver but officials didn't elaborate further.

The church plans to move the unconscious Moon later Friday to Cheongshim Hospital in a town northeast of Seoul.

The church says followers will pray over Moon and he'll be given expert medical treatment.

Moon is 92.

True Father’s Providential Course of Fighting His Illness

To : Regional Presidents, National Messiahs, National Leaders
From : Unification Church World Mission Headquarters
Date : 7.13 by the Heavenly Calendar (August 30, 2012)
Re. : Message from the International Vice-President

May God and True Parents’ blessings and love be with all regions, mission nations and providential organizations.

Below is a message from Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, the International Vice-President. Please share this with your members in the regions and mission nations.

True Father’s providential course of fighting his illness

Beloved members throughout the world! Let us eternally praise and congratulate Heaven’s glory and True Parents’ victory. True Parents appeared for the first and last time in human history and governs as the True Parents for eternity. They are our messiah, savior and king of peace.

Brothers and sisters,
True Father has been in an intense fight with an illness since August 3, 2012. After returning from the United States on July 16, he had a persistent cough stemming from a serious cold. Yet without concerning himself with his ailment, True Father visited the mission field, personally leading and directing providence beginning with early morning hoondokhae each day. In the course of pushing himself beyond his limits without attending to his physical body, True Father fell ill with pneumonia.

True Father is in his advanced years, and is 93 years old by Korean counting. Despite his aging body, True Father drove his body hard without evening resting for a single day. How could his physical body that reached its limits not be vulnerable to such illness? True Father is unwavering with his principles of living life in a way so that he would never need to make use of the services of a hospital. This has been his guiding principle, thus he was not overly eager to go to the hospital this time. However, he finally resolved to go after True Mother’s fervent appeal. Beginning with a house call by Dr. Hoo Geun Chun, the Director of the Cancer Institute of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, whom True Father trusted and requested treatment since his time in the United States, True Father was finally admitted into the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

In this way True Father was admitted into the St. Mary’s Hospital on August 3. For the next ten days he received all the necessary inspections including X-rays, MRI and other examinations. In the end, it was determined that he had pneumonia. His condition was quite serious, and it was discovered that there was water in his lungs due to blood poisoning and respiratory failure. The doctor warned that True Father had to be kept ‘absolutely at rest.’ However, True Father strongly instructed that he had to go to Cheon Jeong Gung and so on August 12, he returned to Cheon Jeong Gung. After returning, he went around each and every place of Cheon Jeong Gung, caressing the things there as if he were saying goodbye. True Father also gave a serious prayer with True Mother as if it were his last prayer. True Father was seen putting things in their place and saying “I have completed everything!” four times during the day. During this time True Father was saying “thank you” to True Mother whenever he had the chance while clasping her hand.

In this way, True Father spent the entire night without any sleep at Cheon Jeong Gung at times in prayer and at times giving guidance. On August 13 the next day, he said that he wanted to take a car to go around the Cheongpyeong complex. The staff drove him to the front of the Cheongshim Middle and High School. Yet, his condition remained serious; an ordinary person in his state would not have even been able to stand up. The mental strength he showed that day was beyond imagination. However, in the afternoon, True Father’s strength started to decline rapidly. True Mother was the first to sense this change. In tears, True Mother begged Father to go to the hospital with her. In ordinary times, Father would have flatly refused but on this day he willingly accepted True Mother’s advice saying “Yes, mother. Thank you” and headed for the Cheongshim International Medical Center.

During the few hours that True Father stayed at the Cheongshim International Medical Center while undergoing treatment, his conditioned worsened. Seeing True Father cough severely and struggling in pain, True Mother immediately obtained True Father’s approval and instructed to have him transferred to the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, a general hospital in Seoul. Given the urgency of the circumstances, they seated True Father in the SUV that he usually rode, and with two nurses from the Cheongshim Hospital at his side and two tanks of oxygen, they continued to supply True Father with oxygen on the way. What usually was an hour’s drive, must have felt like a thousand years in a dreadful and desperate battle. With twenty minutes left to the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, True Father’s respiration became extremely rough and it seemed that he could not hold out anymore. At that point, everybody in the car, from the driver and to the nurses, felt that the world was about to end. Overcome with emotion, they sped with their life and were able to safely bring True Father to the hospital.

True Father was admitted into room 207 at the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, and immediately began receiving emergency treatment. Though it was nighttime, there were five to six doctors and seven to eight nurses who were paged at short notice, and all types of equipment for emergency treatment were brought in.

It was an hour-long battle reminiscent of a war field. We were praying and beseeching to heaven; we were trembling in fear and anxiety, unable to shed tears or even breathe easily even when we closed our eyes. Finally, the emergency measures came to an end, and it was only after midnight that True Father could be moved to the intensive care unit on the fifth floor. It was the longest day of my life. It was way past one in the morning when Dr. Chun emerged from the intensive care unit after completing the setup. He said “If you were even thirty minutes later in bringing Father from the Cheongshim Hospital to this hospital, something serious might have happened today,” expressing his amazement in True Mother’s wise and prompt decision and action.

This is how True Father began his fight against his illness in the intensive care unit. Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital is one of the five largest hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The medical technology of Korea is not in any way inferior to that of any other nation of the world. The top medical team and most advanced medical care in the world were mobilized and they are investing themselves completely for True Father’s recovery, which I am confirming each day. I also have unending appreciation to Dr. Chun, the main doctor, for his dedication and hard work. True Father’s condition is being monitored without error twenty-four hours a day. All the necessary equipment and injections for treatment are being flawlessly employed.

Dear beloved members!
According to the principle of creation, human beings are born with a physical body, and everyone without exception will conclude their earthly life and move on to the spirit world which is the world of eternal life. Through True Father’s teachings, we are more than aware of this principle. At the same time, it is what makes us human that prevents us from neglecting or leaving an ill person unattended. It is the duty and proper way of being human to do our best in taking care of our parents, family members, or relatives around us if they fall ill and then fight their illness. This is because we live in the same era and environment as they live, and we build all manner of bonds and relationships as we go about our earthly life.

If that is so, what do you think True Mother and True Children are going through as they watch over and nurse True Father who is battling his illness each day? It is not that they do not understand the principle that human beings with physical bodies go through three stages of life. Indeed with True Mother, we are grasping Heaven and fervently praying for a miracle. True Father is the one and only messiah in human history. He is the one and only savior who will be recorded and attended to eternally as the True Parent. No couple other than the True Parents would ever become the True Parents of Humankind. The seven billion people of this world should stay up a ll night in prayer wishing for the recovery of True Father, who is so precious and dear to all of us, as he fights against his illness in the intensive care unit. We should appeal to Heaven for True Father to remain with us for at least another day before he departs if not for the sake of the pitiable souls on earth.

Beloved brothers and sisters!
However, it seems that Heaven’s providence does not always move according to human will. For a while it appeared that True Father’s condition was improving; however, during the last few days, the doctors reported that he has entered an irreversible stage of his condition. With a grieved and sorrowful heart, True Mother and the rest of us who looked after True Father at the hospital, conferred with the doctors at the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and the Seoul National University Hospital.

However, like a bolt of lightning from a blue sky, we unexpectedly received the following warning. The top doctors in the field of respiratory systems at the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and Seoul National University Hospital reached the conclusion that given the level of modern medical practice, they could no longer promise the recovery of True Father’s pulmonary function. I wept bitterly in the face of this shocking reality that the probability of True Father recovering his pulmonary function was virtually nonexistent. This was August 28. Seeing True Mother enter her room alone and endlessly crying, my heart was torn and I wailed in sorrow. In that we have reached the point at which this stark reality cannot be reversed, we have to take steps towards the next stage in providence.

In accordance with True Mother’s instructions, we held an emergency meeting in the afternoon of August 28. A solemn meeting was held with True Mother and eight participants—Rev. Young Hwi Kim, Dr. Bo Hi Pak, Rev. Jae Seok Lee, Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, Hoon-Mo Nim, Rev. Hyo Yul Kim, and Kook Jin Nim and Hyung Jin Nim representing the True Family. In light of the serious reality that we faced, all of us seriously contemplated and discussed what we could do to have True Father remain on the earth a little bit more and how to keep him comfortable before his eventual departure. True Mother’s will was stronger than ever. She stated “No matter what happens, we must protect True Father’s sacred body.”

Medically speaking, there is no mistake that the intensive care unit of a general hospital is strictly protected and under tight management. However, the spiritual atmosphere and environment was very inadequate and unclean. Several people die each day and during visiting hours, the ward is bustling with people like a stop at a train station. Being in a critical condition, True Father’s level of immunity had fallen to being close to zero. He is placed in a situation where there is no knowing when a stray bacteria or virus could invade True Father’s system. It is also deeply regrettable that True Father’s condition requires that he be kept ‘absolutely at rest.’ Thus, True Mother and the True Children were limited to two visits a day, allowing for only two people to enter for twenty minutes at a time. As a result, there were even some members of the True Family who were unable to see True Father for some days at a time.

In these unfortunate circumstances, the decision that was reached by True Mother and all the participants of the emergency meeting was to transfer True Father from the intensive care unit at the St. Mary’s Hospital to a special room (reserved for True Parents’ exclusive use) at the Cheongshim International Medical Center in Cheongpyeong where he can continue to receive treatment. All the medical equipment and treatment that True Father received at the intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital will be transferred as well so that True Father’s treatment can continue uninterrupted. The process of transferring True Father from the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital to the Cheongshim International Medical Center will be carried out under the responsibility of Dr. Chun, Father’s main doctor, and Dr. Kim who is the supervising doctor of patients with respiratory disorders at the intensive care unit of the St. Mary’s Hospital. Both doctors will be with True Father in the ambulance that will take True Father to the Cheongshim International Medical Center. These doctors will continue to visit True Father frequently and do their utmost for True Father’s treatment. Furthermore, we invited a doctor from Japan who specializes in dealing with the respiratory systems to be exclusively responsible for watching over True Father and overseeing his treatment twenty-four hours a day. The veteran nurses who were placed in exclusive charge over True Father at the intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital will also accompany True Father when he is relocated to the Cheongshim Hospital and will remain there to nurse him. An intensive care unit will be fully prepared, placing True Father in a spacious room without having to share it with other patients. There he will be under the care of True Mother and other members of the True Family twenty-four hours a day. It is my wish that a miracle from Heaven occurs in relation to True Father’s condition amid the prayers and holy songs of our many members.

Although True Father is in the intensive care unit at a general hospital, in reality he is currently sustaining his life with the assistance of various machines. More than fifteen days have passed since he was admitted into an intensive care unit for pneumonia. Symptoms of complications have continued to arise. True Father’s kidneys have ceased to function, and the function of his liver is deteriorating rapidly. Furthermore, True Father’s circulation has reached the point where he can no longer sustain his life without the supply of oxygen artificially produced by a machine. In these circumstances, the officials at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital informed us that “There is no longer any way to improve True Father’s condition through modern medical technology.” Thus, True Mother, the True Children and all those who participated in the emergency meeting, reached the conclusion that having True Father receive professional treatment at the Cheongshim International Medical Center established by True Parents within the estate of Cheongpyeong, a location designated as a holy ground for all people, would have greater providential significance. Soon True Father will be transferred, while receiving care by the doctors from the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, to the Cheongpyeong area where True Parents’ Cheon Jeong Palace is located.

Beloved brothers and sisters!
We should ask Heaven for a miracle through our continuous prayers and jeongseong. Let us pray with a fervent heart for True Father to completely restore his health by Foundation Day so that he can personally preside and oversee the historic and providential Foundation Day celebrations. I believe that miracles will occur if our prayers and jeongseong reach Heaven.

Dr. Joon Ho Seuk
International Vice-President
Unification Church
President of the Korean Church

Sharing Today's News About True Father

Joon Ho Seuk
August 30, 2012

To all members of the Unification Family worldwide:

I thank the entire Unification Family for their tremendous offering of Jeong Seong with a fervent heart centering on True Mother and the True Children for the common cause of True Father's recovery and continued health. Like the old saying, "Sincerity moves Heaven," I believe that our Jeong Seong reaches Heaven, and that God will create miracles, making the impossible possible, and that True Father's health will miraculously improve.

This morning, True Father's condition has not greatly changed compared to yesterday, and he is being supplied with the maximum amount of oxygen.

Despite being 93 years old, True Father repeatedly pushed his physical limitations to harsh levels at the forefront of providence. With a life-or-death resolution, completely investing himself, and with the indomitable spirit of getting up each time after collapsing seven times, he overcame all hardships beginning with his physical limitations, all for the sake of bringing liberation to God, salvation to humankind and creating a world of peace. Even during this arduous time of fighting each moment against his illness, I believe True Father will pull through like he has always done.

However, it is still a very difficult battle. Thus, I sincerely pray for your continuous and greater Jeong Seong so that our devotion can add to True Father's strength and that he can miraculously rise again.

Thank you.

7.13 by the heavenly calendar in the 3rd year of Cheon-gi (August 30, 2012)

Dr. Joon Ho Seuk

International Vice-President
Unification Church
President of the Korean Church