Pledging to Take Initiative to Realize World Peace

This week in history, July 9-15:

• Street lecturing begins at Pagoda Park in Seoul (July 10, 1959)
• True Mother’s speaking tour in the United States begins (July 10, 1993)
• Kyung Yu Moon, True Father’s father, is born (July 11, 1893)
• First Korean Professors’ World Tour and Seminar is held (July 11-24, 1987)
• Archbishop Milingo returns (July 12, 2006)
• The Universal Ballet Company is established (July 13, 1984)
• True Father is invited to give a lecture at the National Assembly in Seoul (July 13, 2001)
• The fourth phase of the International Marriage Blessing Ceremony of 400 Million Couples is held (July 13, 2003)
• The God’s Hope for America pilgrimage reaches its halfway point (July 13, 2014)
• Unificationist missionaries come to Japan for the first time (July 15, 1958)
• The first Peace Cup Soccer Tournament is held (July 15, 2003)
• True Parents meet the Nigerian president (July 15, 2011)
   

JULY 10, 1959

Pagoda Park Street Lecturing Begins

On July 10, 1959, Korean members did street lecturing for the first time. Following True Father’s guidance, Hyun Shil Kang, Hui Ok Kim, and Seok On Jeong brought chalkboards to Seoul’s Pagoda Park. They cleaned the area around the stone pagoda, set up the chalkboards and started lecturing Divine Principle. Many people would stop to listen to the lectures—at times over one thousand people. Though the crowds were not without those who criticized, most were moved by the new teachings and would applaud. The street lecturing went on for seven years. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)
 

JULY 10, 1993

True Mother’s Speaking Tour in the United States Begins

True Mother began a 23-city U.S. speaking tour in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 10, 1993. She concluded it in Columbus, Ohio, on July 31. Leaders from many areas of society, including woman leaders, came to each event. True Mother emphasized the beginning of the Completed Testament Age and the role of women through her speech, “True Parents and the Completed Testament Age.” (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)
 

JULY 11, 1893

True Father’s Father Is Born

According to the inscription on his tombstone, Kyung Yu Moon, True Father’s father, was born on July 11, 1893. True Father notes in his autobiography that he could sing from memory the Christian hymnal which consisted of more than 450 pages, that he was not good at collecting debts but honored his pledge to repay debts, “even if it meant selling the family cow,” and that he was large in stature and strong. True Father stated, “The fact that at age 90 I’m still able to travel around the world and carry on my work is a result of the physical strength I inherited from my father.”
 

JULY 11-24, 1987

First Korean Professors’ World Tour and Seminar

The First Korean Professors World Tour and Seminar, sponsored by the International Cultural Foundation (ICF), was held from July 11 to 24, 1987, bringing together 144 professors from major universities throughout Korea for a program that took them to Kodiak, Alaska, Washington, D.C., and the New York City area. Dr. Se Won Yoon, president of Sung Hwa Theological Seminary in Korea, served as convener of the seminar, which had as its central theme the responsibility of scholars in the quest for world peace. In their group discussions throughout their two-week stay in the United States, they expressed special enthusiasm to create responsive and scholarly leadership and a popular base for moving Korea toward democratization and unification.
 

JULY 12, 2006

Archbishop Milingo Returns

Roman Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo and Maria Sung receive the Holy Marriage Blessing.

True Parents blessed Roman Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo of Zambia to Maria Sung of South Korea in a Holy Blessing of Religious Leaders on May 27, 2001. In August 2001, Milingo announced that he would leave his wife, whom he now loved “as a sister,” and asked her to respect his wishes. He then departed on a thirteen-month penitential retreat in Argentina and receded from public view over the next four years, until resurfacing dramatically at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on July 12, 2006. Milingo said he had lived through five years of “doubts and difficulties” and said, “The shadow of Maria Sung always hung over me.” He stated that he was reuniting with his wife and embarking on an “independent charismatic ministry” to reconcile married priests with the Catholic faith.
 

JULY 13, 1984

Establishment of the Universal Ballet Company

On July 13, 1984, the Universal Ballet Company was inaugurated at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center in Seoul. True Parents founded the Universal Ballet Company to raise Korean ballet to the world standard, to contribute to better international cultural exchange and to lead the globalization of Korean ballet arts. They have given the troupe its full support. True Parents wrote the calligraphic message “Rapid Advancement” on this day. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

 

JULY 13, 2001

True Father Invited to Give a Lecture at the National Assembly

True Father gave a speech in a conference room at the National Assembly Building in Seoul on July 13, 2001. Congressman Man Seop Lee, the National Assembly’s vice chairman, around fifty other members of the National Assembly from all parties and around 700 staff members were in the audience. True Father gave the speech “The Liberation of God’s Homeland,” calling everyone to this cause, saying, “Let us establish head-wing and Godism values and completely commit ourselves to the unification of the Koreas for the sake of the nations on the Korean Peninsula and for world peace.” (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)
 

JULY 13, 2003

The Fourth Phase of the International Marriage Blessing Ceremony of 400 Million Couples

The Fourth Phase of the International Marriage Blessing of 400 Million Couples was held at 2 p.m. on July 13 at Yu Gwan Soon Gymnasium in Seoul, with True Parents officiating the event in front of some 3,550 couples. The blessing ceremony was broadcast throughout the world via satellite and the Internet so that 30,000 couples in the major cities of 186 nations of the world were able to participate in the ceremony simultaneously. The Blessing was the culmination of the World Culture and Sports Festival (WCSF) 2003, the ninth to be held since 1992. Couples pledged to take the initiative to realize world peace through true love as they began their lives as husbands and wives.
 

JULY 13, 2014

God’s Hope for America Pilgrimage Reaches Halfway Point

Washington, D.C., marked the halfway point in the 2014 God’s Hope for America Pilgrimage Tour as participants prayed at the 25th and 26th Holy Grounds established by True Father in 1965. The first stop was the Holy Ground in the middle of the lawn on the west side of the U.S. Capitol building. The next stop was the Holy Ground located in the center of the Ellipse, an elliptical field directly south of the White House. The pilgrimage bus then drove to the Washington, D.C., church which had been purchased from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) in 1977. That evening The Washington Times held a banquet for pilgrimage participants, local church members, employees of The Times, friends and clergy. All were briefed about exciting developments at The Times, including the plan to be financially independent. In his closing remarks, FFWPU North America Director Dr. Ki Hoon Kim called on those present to “Remember; Revive; Re-imagine!”
 

JULY 15, 1958

Unificationist Missionaries Come to Japan

On July 15, 1958, missionaries came to Japan for the very first time in the history of the Unification Church. True Father chose Japan as the place to begin foreign missionary work and sent Choi Bong Chun there. As this was before diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan had been established, coming and going between the countries was not easy. Missionary Choi got on the ferry from Busan and settled in Tokyo after overcoming a series of difficulties. On October 2, 1959, he held the first worship services and started the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification of Japan. This year is the 57th anniversary of Japanese evangelism. (Materials provided by FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

JULY 15, 2003

First Peace Cup Soccer Tournament

True Parents launched the first Peace Cup Soccer Tournament from July 15 to 22, 2003. One year earlier, the World Cup, soccer’s most prestigious tournament, had been staged in Asia for the first time, jointly hosted by Korea and Japan. At that time, “soccer fever” gripped Korea, not only because it was a co-host nation but also because the Korean national team made it past the traditional soccer powers to the semi-finals. After that tournament, True Father announced the establishment of the Peace Cup and said that Brazilian soccer great Pele had promised to support its work of reconciliation within the world community. The first Peace Cup tournament brought eight professional soccer clubs to Korea, including Korea League champion Seongnam Il Hwa, the team True Father had founded in 1989. The inaugural tournament champion and $2 million prize-winner was PSV Eindhoven (the Netherlands).
 

JULY 15, 2011

True Parents Meet Nigerian President

True Parents met newly re-elected Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan at the president’s invitation on July 15, 2011. The president had invited True Parents to attend his inauguration on May 28. However, True Parents were unable to attend due to schedule conflicts during their 2011 World Tour. In 2006, while governor of Bayelsa State, Dr. Jonathan and his wife received the Blessing from True Mother during her 120 Nation Tour. He was quoted as saying at that time: “The newspapers and television portray so much conflict and hate. That is why I am so elated to be an Ambassador for Peace and to be a part of UPF. After today, I only want to do more for peace.” He also reportedly donated $70,000 toward True Mother’s speaking engagement in Nigeria.

During their audience, True Father offered the president three suggestions for the future of Nigeria. First, he strongly urged President Jonathan to honor God and God’s laws and traditions at the center of his government and to channel Nigeria’s national passion for religion toward being an asset for peace instead of a source of division. Second, he emphasized the importance of supporting strong marriages and families, so that Nigeria’s traditional family tradition would not be eroded by a tide of secular and humanistic values threatening to sweep the country. Third, he voiced the hope that Nigeria would emerge as a model nation for all of Africa, and for the world. True Father also spoke to the president about lineage, harmony and tradition. Afterward, True Father spoke to 3,500 participants at a Universal Peace Federation (UPF) International Leadership Conference at the International Conference Center in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of July 9 to 15.

A Proclamation of Peace

This week in history, July 2-8:

• 1,440,000 second generation Christian youth and world religious youth receive the Holy Marriage Blessing (July 3, 2002)

• America declares independence from Great Britain (July 4, 1776)

• True Father is arrested in Ewha Womans University incident (July 4, 1955)

• True Father is transferred from Danbury to Phoenix House (July 4, 1985)

• Leading newspapers in all fifty states began publishing “A Cloud of Witnesses” (July 4, 2002)

• First one hundred-day workshop is held in Japan (July 5, 1973)

• The Cross-Cultural Marriage Blessing Ceremony in the Sacred Reign of Peace is held (July 5, 2007)

• True Father declares his messiahship publicly for the first time (July 6, 1992)

• The first car is purchased for True Parents (July 7, 1958)

• The Convention to Proclaim the Embodiment of God’s Word and the Era of the Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind is held (July 8, 2010)

JULY 3, 2002

Holy Blessing of 1,440,000 Second Generation Christian Youth and World Religious Youth

True Parents officiated at a series of Interfaith Marriage Blessings centered on the American Clergy Leadership Conference (est. 2000) and the ACLC’s “We Will Stand in Oneness” 50-state speaking tour (2001). The first of these was an Interfaith Marriage Blessing of sixty clergy couples presided over by True Parents in the Cotillion Room of the Hilton Hotel in New York City on May 27, 2001, which included, most prominently, Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. The second was a blessing of 144,000 clergy couples, 700 of whom gathered as representative couples at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, on April 27, 2002. The third was the Holy Blessing of 1,440,000 Second Generation Christian Youth and World Religious Youth on July 3, 2002. Seven hundred couples jammed the representative venue at the Sheraton National Hotel. A U.S. congressman offered a congratulatory address. World religious representatives, including a Native American chief, offered prayers. This time, the Nation of Islam brought 40 couples, the Sikhs 20 and the Hindus 20 in addition to other groups that “brought their lineages before heaven.”
 

JULY 4, 1776

America Declares Independence from Great Britain

On July 4, 1776, members of the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, which explained the reasons for the 13 American colonies to separate from the British Empire. Two days earlier, on July 2 in closed session, the same Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence. From the beginning, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, thereafter known as Independence Day or the Fourth of July. Independence Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays, barbecues and fireworks. In 1976, the year of the American Bicentennial, True Father founded the “Bicentennial God Bless America Committee” to focus the bicentennial celebrations on God and to call America to its global responsibilities. True Father delivered major speeches at Yankee Stadium in New York City on June 1, 1976, and at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on September 18, 1976.
 

JULY 4, 1955

True Father Arrested in Ewha Womans University Incident

In late 1954 and early 1955, the newly founded Unification Church witnessed successfully on the campuses of Ewha Womans University and Yonsei University in Seoul. Nearly 400 students connected to the church, at which point Ewha President Helen Kim and Vice President Maria Park spearheaded a crackdown. Five Ewha University faculty members, including Dr. Young Oon Kim and Won Pok Choi, who had joined the church, were fired. Students were given the choice to discontinue association with the church or be expelled. Fourteen students accepted expulsion. Finally, as a result of an orchestrated defamation campaign, True Father, Won Pil Kim, Church President Hyo Won Eu and two of Mr. Eu’s relatives were arrested. True Father spent three months in Seoul’s Seodaemun prison before being freed on appeal.
 

JULY 4, 1985

True Father Transferred from Danbury to Phoenix House

After serving nearly 12 months in Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut, True Father was transferred to Phoenix House, a halfway facility in Brooklyn, New York, where he served the final 45 days of his 18-month sentence, getting five months off for good behavior. True Father was permitted to leave the house at 7:00 a.m. each morning and was required to return by 11:00 p.m. During the day he was free to direct church affairs.

JULY 4, 2002

“A Cloud of Witnesses: The Saints’ Testimonies to the True Parents”

Leading newspapers in all fifty states began publishing “A Cloud of Witnesses” spirit world messages in ad space purchased by the Unification movement. The spirit world messages were the result of “seminars in the spirit world,” initially for the four religious founders (Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad) and subsequently for “120 Christians Who Illuminated History,” 120 leaders each from Buddhist, Confucian and Muslim traditions, and 120 communists. They also included a “Letter from God.” The seminars were led by Dr. Sang Hun Lee (d. 1997) and channeled through Mrs. Young Soon Kim. True Father authorized the messages, stating they “should be considered to be from me.” The “cloud” testimonies were direct about True Parents’ position as the savior of all humankind and controversial among clergy associated with the movement. However, they also provided an opportunity for education. The movement convened “National Ministers Workshops” for several hundred clergy. As one leader put it, “The trial of the Cloud of Witnesses led to a Divine Principle movement within the clergy.”
 

JULY 5, 1973

First One Hundred-Day Workshop in Japan

The first one-hundred-day workshop in Japan began on July 5, 1973, at the Atsugi Training Center in the city of Atsugi. Members had responded to True Father’s words: “For people to become global leaders, there are three abilities they must have. Based on correct values, these are persuasion, public relations, diplomacy and business skills.” Eighteen one hundred-day workshops were held, with Japan’s top executives participating. After that, it was replaced by a forty-day workshop. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

 

JULY 5, 2007

Cross-cultural Marriage Blessing Ceremony in the Sacred Reign of Peace

As part of the 2007 World Culture and Sports Festival (WCSF 2007), True Parents officiated an international marriage blessing at Yoo Gwan-soon Indoor Gymnasium in Cheonan, Korea (one hour south of Seoul) on July 5. Under the title, “2007 Cross-cultural Marriage Blessing Ceremony in the Sacred Reign of Peace,” the blessing brought 1,634 couples together in holy matrimony. The blessing was the 7th Phase of the International Cross-cultural Blessing of 400 Million Couples.  The ceremony was broadcast through the internet, so many other couples participated indirectly from all around the world. Dr. Lee Soo-sung, former prime minister of Korea and H.E. Stanislav Shushkevich, former president of Republic of Belarus, offered congratulatory addresses. In his remarks, Shushkevich noted, “I had the privilege to be at the World Peace Blessing in 1992, when I was still head of state of Belarus,” he explained, “At that time we were so happy because of our new found freedoms. But looking back now fifteen years later I can say that freedom alone is not enough: we must have strong families and a strong moral structure if our nations are to prosper.”
 

JULY 6, 1992

True Father Publicly Declares His Messiahship

True Father publicly declared his messiahship for the first time in a speech delivered to Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and Korean civic leaders in Chungju, Korea. This was the first of four major gatherings that took place from July 6 to 9, 1992, in Korea’s Seoul region, the southeast region, the southwest region and the mid-Korea region. In his speech, “The Reappearance of True Parents and the Ideal Family,” True Father stated:

“God chose me to be the Messiah. … I have fulfilled my mission as the Lord of the Second Advent, Savior and the True Parent. I am proclaiming this in this place because the time has come to do so. Those who accept this will be blessed. If this race listens to me, how good that will be for the country. How good it would be, if the statesmen listen to me.”

True Father declared his messiahship on the worldwide level at the first World Culture and Sports Festival (WCSF) held in Seoul from August 19 to 30, 1992.

JULY 7, 1958

First Car Purchased for True Parents

True Parents’ first car was bought on July 7, 1958. The car’s plate number was “Seoul, Ja 747.” True Father went on endless tours nationwide with this car. During summer and winter forty-day witnessing periods in particular, True Father was busier than usual, moving around the country to encourage witnessing members. At times, a church in a province would be preparing for a revival when suddenly it would receive information of an impending visit by True Father. All members would come out and warmly welcome him. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)
 

JULY 8, 2010

The Convention to Proclaim the Embodiment of God’s Word and the Era of the Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind is Held

True Parents hosted the Convention to Proclaim the Embodiment of God’s Word and the Era of the Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind at the Cheon Jeong (Original) Peace Palace in Korea on July 8, 2010. Two thousand overseas members attended including some 640 from Europe and 130 from the United States. The convention culminated True Parents proclamation of a new heavenly calendar, their Golden Wedding Anniversary and Seunghwa Memorial Festivals held at the United Nations and elsewhere earlier that year. In his speech, True Father stated, “True Parents have already prepared the last words I will give to humankind” and noted, “I am leaving behind eight textbooks and teaching materials for humankind to use for all eternity. These are published in almost a thousand volumes.” He called upon blessed families to carry our Hoon Dok education, establish an absolute family, and to “inscribe in your hearts the fact that we have entered the era of the realm of the cosmic Sabbath.” Through this proclamation ceremony, True Father stated, “all the borderlines in the entire cosmos have been abolished.”
 

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of July 2 to 8.

A Rally for Religious Freedom

JULY 1, 1982

Holy Blessing of 2,075 Couples in Madison Square Garden

We celebrate 36 years since a large percentage of American Unificationists participated in a record-setting Marriage Blessing of 2,075 Couples officiated by True Parents at Madison Square Garden. This number eclipsed the previous record of 1,800 couples wed by True Parents in 1975, which the Guinness World Records reference book recorded as the largest mass wedding in history. Engagement ceremonies of 705 couples in May 1979, 843 couples in December 1980 and 653 couples in June 1982 led up to the ceremony. More than 60 percent of the couples were either interracial or cross-cultural. With this event, the U.S. church demographics went from primarily single people to mostly married people virtually overnight.

 

More this week in history, June 25 – July 1:

• The Korean War breaks out with the invasion of North Korea into South Korea (June 25, 1950)
• True Father speaks to President Dwight D. Eisenhower on morals and religion (June 25, 1965)
• A hearing on religious freedom takes place, followed by a rally in Washington, D.C. (June 25, 1985)
• The launching ceremony of Cheon Seung Ho is held (June 26, 1963)
• A hearing on religious freedom is held (June 26, 1984)
• US clergy rally for True Father (June 26, 1985)
• Dr. Theodore Shimmyo is inaugurated as the second president of the Unification Theological Seminary (June 26, 1994)
• The US Marriage Blessing Movement begins (June 27, 2015)
• True Mother writes a letter to Judge Gerard Goettel (June 28, 1982)
• The Washington Declaration is made (June 29, 2003)
• The Declaration of God’s Eternal Blessing is proclaimed (July 1, 1991)
• Dedication Ceremony of the Education Center for Ideal Families and World Peace (July 1, 1998)
• True Father holds a 23.5-hour Hoon Dok Hwe (July 1, 2010)
   

JUNE 25, 1950

The Korean War Begins

The Korean War broke out when the army of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The conflict pulled in China and the United States. Eventually, sixteen UN member nations provided troops to the South. The war continued for more than three years until the Korean Armistice Agreement (not treaty) was signed on July 27, 1953. The hostilities resulted in a death toll of over 1.2 million. True Father was in Heungnam prison camp at the war’s outbreak. Following their landing at Incheon led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, UN and South Korean forces fought their way north, subjected Heungnam prison and factory complex to a massive aerial bombardment and liberated True Father after two years and eight months of confinement. According to Unification teaching, the division of the peninsula and the Korean War were deeply intertwined with providential history and True Father’s mission.

JUNE 25, 1965

True Father Meets Dwight D. Eisenhower

True Father met for 45 minutes with former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, office as part of his first world tour.  He was accompanied by Mrs. Won Bok Choi, Col. Bo Hi Pak, Kenji “Daikon” Ohnuki and Gordon Ross. True Father noted that the day marked the 15th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. In their discussion True Father focused attention on three points: the need for a strong anticommunist ideology and movement; the need to bring a halt to moral decay; the need for an active, dynamic religion. President Eisenhower agreed, saying: “Man is a spiritual being. We must bring to bear a greater moral strength based on moral law to stand against the communists. It will take the vigor of youth to do this.” True Father presented the former U.S. president with several gifts, and President Eisenhower wished him the “greatest success.”

True Father and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

JUNE 25, 1985

Rally for Religious Freedom

More than eleven hundred ministers from a broad range of denominations gathered from around the country in Washington, D.C., to affirm religious freedom and protest the unjust imprisonment of True Father at Danbury Federal Penitentiary. The rally was sponsored by the Coalition for Religious Freedom and the University Alliance for God and Freedom. Across from the White House, several ministers held handcuffed arms high in the air and a mock jail cell held a gagged woman dressed in white with an inscription that read, “Lady Justice Imprisoned by Blind Government Officials.” This was one of a series of rallies and conferences that led up to True Father’s release on August 20, 1985.

The Rally for Justice and Religious Freedom took place on June 25, 1985.

The Rally for Justice and Religious Freedom took place on June 25, 1985.

JUNE 26, 1963

Launching Ceremony of the Cheon Seung Ho Boat

True Parents held the launching ceremony for the boat Cheon Seung Ho at a dockyard in the Manseok neighborhood of the city of Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, with around 200 key members in attendance. On this day True Father prayed in his benediction, “Cheon Seung Ho means that ‘Heaven has won,’ and this launching ceremony of Cheon Seung Ho is being held as it is the starting point of all victories in heaven and on earth.” True Parents had already begun preparing for the maritime providence by this time. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

JUNE 26, 1984

Hearing on Religious Freedom

After the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch and True Father shake hands.

After the Court of Appeals denied True Father’s appeal and upheld his eighteen-month sentence for tax evasion, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution convened a hearing on religious freedom. Chaired by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the hearing looked into whether the verdict in True Father’s case had been a violation of religious freedom. More than three hundred invited persons and observers as well as media crews were present. In his prepared remarks, True Father stated, “In 1971, God called me to come to America and … for the last 12 years I have given my heart and soul and every drop of sweat and tears for the sake of this nation.” He listed a number of the vast array of projects undertaken by the movement at the cost of “several hundred million dollars,” denied that he had defrauded the U.S. government of a few thousand dollars, and expressed gratitude that God was “using me as an instrument to lead the fight for religious freedom and to ignite the spiritual awakening of America.”
 

JUNE 26, 1985

U.S. Clergy Rally for True Father

On June 26, 1985, members of the clergy held a religious freedom rally in Washington, D.C., in protest against True Father’s incarceration in Danbury. Participants, who wore a white sash, marched in protest toward the White House, singing the gospel song “We Shall Not Be Moved” at Lafayette Square on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. The clerics raised their handcuffed hands above their heads and prayed for religious freedom. Around 1,000 clerics from different denominations participated in the rally, as did around 2,000 Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) members from fifty universities, including the University of California, Berkeley,  and Harvard University,. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

June 26, 1994

Dr. Theodore Shimmyo Inaugurated as Second UTS President
 

Dr. Theodore Shimmyo was inaugurated as the second president of the Unification Theological Seminary at the seminary’s 18th commencement exercises. He succeeded the seminary’s first president, Dr. David S.C. Kim, who had served for nineteen years since the seminary’s founding in 1975. Dr. Shimmyo, a graduate of the seminary’s first class, had been a professor of systematic theology and assistant academic dean. In his acceptance speech, “A Place Where Leaders Are Educated,” he pledged to “make sure that this seminary serves the rest of the Unification community, this nation and the world, with a desire to shoulder their burdens.”

JUNE 27, 2015

U.S. Marriage Blessing Movement Begins

The Unification movement in the United States began a nationwide Marriage Blessing Movement on June 27, 2015. It was initiated as a way to extend the grace of the Blessing to more couples and families throughout the nation, multiply the numbers of Blessed Central Families nationwide, and support each Blessed Central Family in reaching the goal of blessing 430 couples. True Mother authorized Blessing Ceremonies to be held in communities across the U.S. once every three to four months on a predetermined date, to be presided over by approved Blessing officiators representing True Parents. An international Blessing Ceremony will still be held at Foundation Day each year, in which the U.S. will take part. The first nationwide Blessing was held on June 27, 2015, followed by a second on October 3.

JUNE 28, 1982

True Mother’s Letter to Judge Gerard Goettel

On May 18, 1982, a jury for the Southern District of New York returned a guilty verdict against True Father for filing false tax returns from 1973 to 1975. Groups and individuals representing more than 120 million Americans later filed briefs in support of True Father’s appeal. However, the immediate concern was the penalty that the trial judge, Gerard Goettel, would impose. On June 28, several weeks prior to his decision, True Mother wrote the judge, petitioning him to pray and be guided by God in his deliberations. She wrote: “I believe that I have had the most blessed life of any woman who has ever lived in being married to my husband. He has totally dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity. … From the time I was a young girl, I prayed fervently to live a pious life and to marry a pious man. God listened to every one of my prayers and blessed me more abundantly than I could have ever imagined.” She noted that she had just given birth to their thirteenth child and that the trial proceedings were very difficult, but she “chose to sit by my husband’s side every day.” She emphasized that True Father “continued to inspire us with messages of forgiveness and compassion … [he] would not allow any of us to harbor any hostility towards the government, the prosecutors or any of the witnesses.” She asked the judge to be “compassionate and lenient.”

On July 17, 1982, the court sentenced True Father to 18 months in prison and a $25,000 fine plus costs. The only positive outcome was Judge Goettel’s “binding recommendation” against deportation. The government’s lawyers were eager to deport True Father and pressed Judge Goettel not to issue an opinion on the matter. However, in this instance Judge Goettel did not see things the government’s way. His position was that deportation, in addition to the eighteen-month jail sentence that he himself had imposed, represented “excessive punishment.” The decision, though technically a recommendation, was binding on the Justice Department and could not be appealed.

JUNE 29, 2003

Washington Declaration

The Washington Declaration was the second in a series of three declarations, the others being the Jerusalem Declaration (May 18, 2003) and the Seoul Declaration (August 15, 2003), which were offered on the foundation of the First, Second and Third Israels. Each of the declarations focused on interreligious reconciliation and peace. Together they led to True Parents’ “Declaration Ceremony for the Beginning of the Nation of the Fourth Israel” on August 20, 2003.

July 1, 1991

Declaration Day of God’s Eternal Blessing

True Father proclaimed the Declaration Day of God’s Eternal Blessing (Chil Il Jeol) at a special ceremony at True Parents’ residence in Seoul’s Hannam-dong neighborhood. On that day, True Father began a new era in which blessed families, as tribal messiahs, inherited True Parents’ realm of victory. At the ceremony True Father prayed, “I have designated this day, the first day of July, to be the one on which we can apply and declare ourselves to be tribal messiahs across the world.”  He said that Unificationist families no longer belong to any nationality but are members of the Royal Family. He advised Unificationists to create a new spiritual attitude and train themselves to overcome their fallen nature in working with their hometown communities.
 

JULY 1, 1998

Dedication Ceremony of the Education Center for Ideal Families and World Peace

On July 1, 1998, beginning at 10 a.m., a dedication ceremony was held in Jardim, Brazil, for the Education Center for Ideal Families and World Peace. Around 3,000 people, well-known figures in Brazil and leaders from a variety of backgrounds in Jardim, came to the event. True Father said, “The goal of the Jardim education center is to raise people who do not live for their own individual benefit but instead live for the country, the world and God as families and to raise people who live for the world, even though it means sacrificing one’s clan or nation.” After the dedication, FFWPU members from across the globe began to attend the Jardim forty-day workshops in this center to inherit True Parents’ heart and traditions. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee.)

JULY 1, 2010

True Father Holds 23.5-Hour Hoon Dok Hwe

True Father, at age 90, hosted a historic Hoon Dok Hwe that lasted twenty-three and a half hours, speaking on the topic of “God Is the Owner and Victor” to Japanese women participating in a forty-day workshop for “world ocean leaders” at Blue Sea Garden in Yeosu, Korea.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of June 25 to July 1.

The Beginning of God’s Hope

This week in history, June 18-24:

• European missionary Peter Koch ascends (June 19, 1984)
• Tongil Group employees support North Korean escapees, multicultural families (June 19, 2013)
• The National Council of Churches issues a study document on the Divine Principle (June 21, 1977)
• UTS awards honorary doctorates to True Parents (June 21, 2001)
• God’s Hope for America Holy Ground pilgrimage begins (June 22, 2014)
• True Father is installed as the chairman of the Korean Root-Finding Association (June 23, 1989)
• True Mother is awarded with the Grand Prix Peace Prize of UN IAEWP (June 23, 2000)

JUNE 19, 1984

European Missionary Peter Koch Ascends

On June 19, 1984, Rev. Peter Koch passed unexpectedly at the age of 57. He was the leader of the Austrian Unification Church and the first Western missionary to Europe for the Unification Church. In 1969 he was blessed in marriage with Gertrud Güse in the first European Marriage Blessing Ceremony, which was part of the Blessing of 43 International Couples. At the time of his passing Peter Koch left behind his wife, Gertrud, and their children, Goon Amen and Spring Anne. Peter Koch was a moving force behind Mission Butterfly, which sent Unificationists behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s to work as underground missionaries.
 

JUNE 19, 2013

Tongil Group Employees Support North Korean Escapees, Multicultural Families

On June 19, 2013, Tongil Group staff visited Hope Apparel, a company that helps North Korean escapees adjust to life in the South. Previously Tongil Group employees were donating part of their salaries toward a 2 million won contribution to the company. Hope Apparel, which began in 2009, originally was supported by the Women’s Federation for World Peace, which donated funds for the purchase of sewing machines. Thanks to donations from the Tongil Group employees, the initial costs could be covered for a high-cost commercial sewing machine that works holes into buttons for men’s clothes. Tongil employees also funded support for the less fortunate. In April 2013, the Cheonghae Multicultural Children’s Soccer Club was invited to watch a Seongnam Ilhwa Soccer Match. Tongil subsequently donated 20 million won to the Multicultural Comprehensive Welfare Center to cover the medical costs of multicultural families.

JUNE 21, 1977

National Council of Churches Issues Study Document on Divine Principle

On June 21, 1977, the Commission on Faith and Order of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. released to the press and other interested persons “A Critique of the Theology of the Unification Church as Set Forth in Divine Principle.” The eleven-page “official study document,” drafted by Sister Agnes Cunningham of Mundelein (Roman Catholic) Seminary, was issued “to clarify the claim to Christian identity made by the Unification Church.” The Commission acknowledged receiving Unification Church “statements of self-clarification” but disregarded them. It also admitted to “diversity in Christian belief and theology and, thus, internal disagreement.” Nonetheless, the Commission determined that the Unification Church “is not a Christian Church” and that its “claim…to Christian identity cannot be recognized.” In an important response, published in the Journal of Unification Studies, Dr. Jonathan Wells concluded that “the NCC Critique, though cloaked in theological language,” looked “suspiciously like a witch-hunt.”

JUNE 21, 2001

UTS Awards Honorary Doctorates to True Parents

Unification Theological Seminary awarded its first honorary doctorates in its history to True Parents who were present for Seminary’s 25th commencement exercises. Their citation read in part, “They have introduced the vision of a world based on true love. They have created a theology of heart that resolves the chaos of theology and philosophy. They are leading humankind centered on the living God and the love of family.” Drs. Lee Kyung-june, President of Sun Moon University and Neil Albert Salonen, President of the University of Bridgeport, placed True Parents doctoral hood upon them, representing the bonds of kinship between the three primary institutions of higher education built by True Parents.

True Father delivered the traditional “Founder’s Address,” speaking for nearly four hours, likely a record for graduation ceremonies anywhere. He issued a call for the Seminary to maintain its founding vision as an interreligious school. He also explained the importance of lineage, challenging the school to provide its students a grasp of the innermost core of God’s heart and truth which culminates in true love and life being incarnated and carried forth. Ten days prior to the awards ceremony, on June 11, a bolt of lightning destroyed the five-foot cross that had stood on the chapel for 70 years. Upon hearing of its demise, True Father said it is now time for all crosses to be removed.

JUNE 22, 2014

God’s Hope for America Holy Ground Pilgrimage Begins

The God’s Hope for America bus tour began in San Francisco at the Twin Peaks Holy Ground, the first of the 55 Holy Grounds in the United States consecrated by True Father in 1965. The pilgrimage was organized to spark a revival among Unificationists who joined the 43-day tour at various stops across the country. Some 300 Unificationists gathered on Twin Peaks for the send-off. The tour covered 48 states and concluded in Eugene, Oregon, on August 3.

JUNE 23, 1989

True Father Installed as Chairman of the Korean Root-Finding Association

True Father delivers his Chairman’s address to the general audience at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center’s main concert hall.

True Father was installed as the chairman of the Korean Root-Finding Association (KRFA), a national organization made up of the leaders of the 275 Korean traditional families, or clans. Also referred to as the Korean Family-Clan Chairmen’s Association, the KRFA was organized to promote traditional Korean values, culture and the unity of the Korean people. At the installation ceremony True Parents each were presented with an ornate Korean traditional crown. In his inaugural address True Father acknowledged Korea’s “matchless respect for Heaven, loyalty, filial piety and etiquette,” but stated, “Clan-level root consciousness should be sublimated for a higher root consciousness … of all humanity.” He called upon the association to “extend our love relationships to overcome the conflicts of this age, demolish barriers of age-long disharmony and realize a harmonious world.” He emphasized that “the unification of South and North Korea should be accomplished on the foundation of homogeneity as one people through activating the root-finding movement of true love.”

 

JUNE 23, 2000

True Mother is Awarded with the Grand Prix Peace Prize of UN IAEWP

On June 23, 2000, True Mother was presented with the Grand Prix Peace Prize of UN IAEWP (International Association of Educators for World Peace) at the Folk Museum of Lotte World in Seoul. The Grand Prix Peace Prize is called the Nobel Prize of educational circles and is an award of the highest authority that is presented to those who have contributed to the development of education and human rights. Acknowledged for her contributions to improving the rights of women, True Mother is the first Korean woman to receive this prize. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of June 18-24.

Contributed by Dr. Michael Mickler, Professor of Church History at Unification Theological Seminary.

From the Foundations to the Summit

This week in history, June 11-17:

• The Unification Theological Seminary chapel cross is struck by lightning (June 11, 2001)
• The Sun Moon Peace Cup Inaugural Ceremony is held (June 12, 2002)
• True Parents conduct the 1998 Marriage Blessing Ceremony of 360 million couples worldwide (June 13, 1998)
• True Parents hold the Opening Ceremony for the Cheon Jeong Gung (June 13, 2006)
• True Father appears on the cover of Newsweek International (June 14, 1976)
• True Mother is presented with a special award following her World Speaking Tour (June 14, 1999)
• Korean-born Unificationist, Mr. Nishikawa, is smuggled into Japan to begin his missionary work (June 15, 1958)
• The Austrian government grants Unification Church legal status (June 15, 2015)
• Construction begins at the Cheongpyeong Training Center (June 17, 1971)

JUNE 11, 2001

UTS Chapel Cross Struck by Lightning

As described by UTS President Tyler Hendricks: “On the evening of June 11, there was a thunderstorm in the mid-Hudson Valley. A bolt of lightning struck the five-foot-high stone cross that has stood at the top of our seminary for its 70 years of existence. The cross is not grounded, so the energy had no place to go but out horizontally. This snapped the cross at its base, separating it from the building, and blew off both arms. One arm fell with the pillar of the cross backwards onto the roof. The other careened forward, with pieces falling upon building parapets and to the ground as far as 60 feet away. No one was hurt, but one car suffered damage.” Dr. Hendricks continued: “As a symbol of Christ’s suffering and salvific love for all humankind, the cross is heroic and magnificent. But as a symbol of humankind’s malice toward God expressed by crucifying His son, the cross induces pain and sorrowful grief to God. While a symbol of God’s victory, it is also a symbol of human sin. In 1974, Father Moon directed that the cross remain atop our seminary. Upon hearing of its demise this June, he said that it is now time for all crosses to come down.” True Father’s direction became manifest in 2003 when he called upon Christian clergy to take down the cross as a condition for reconciliation among the sons of Abraham. True Father’s call became the foundation for the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI) and Peace Pilgrimages to the Holy Land.

JUNE 12, 2002

Sun Moon Peace Cup Inaugural Ceremony

The Sun Moon Peace Cup Inaugural Ceremony took place at 3 p.m. on June 12, 2002, at the Little Angels Arts Center in Seoul. More than 500 domestic and foreign attendees showed their interest as True Father spoke on seeking “the path to realize world peace through sports.” He said that the best soccer club teams in the world would participate in the Sun Moon Peace Cup and that it would “become a festival which hopes for all humankind to become one big family.”

 

JUNE 13, 1998

The 360 Million Couples Marriage Blessing Ceremony

True Parents conducted the Marriage Blessing Ceremony in 1998 as the first-stage blessing of 360 million couples worldwide. The main venue was Madison Square Garden in New York City, with satellite feeds to 195 countries. More than 500 buses transported participants, including more than 120 ministers—with 14 buses from Chicago alone. The arena rapidly filled with an estimated 20,000 people. Inside the hall, a 2,000-voice ecumenical choir electrified participants with its performance of “Amazing Grace” and the “Hallelujah Chorus.” At the main Blessing ceremony, there were 2,824 matched couples, including 65 Unificationist-born couples. Blessing 1998 was distinctive in that it included spirit world blessings. Four Korean women elders were blessed as wives on earth to four major saints of the spirit world. True Parents also extended the “pre-Blessing” to 16 billion spirit world couples. A special group of 34 spirit world couples included some of the greatest saints and worst criminals of history.

JUNE 13, 2006

Building the Capitol for a Nation of Peace

True Parents presided over the Opening Ceremony for the Cheon Jeong Gung Museum on Cheonseong Mountain near Cheongpyeong Lake. Approximately 5,000 people participated in the main ceremony, and another 25,000 people watched the event through screens set up in different areas throughout the Cheongpyeong Heaven and Earth Training Center. Prior to the ceremony, thousands of Unificationists from 147 countries participated in week-long festivities from June 6 to 12.

Unificationists throughout the world contributed funds for the Cheon Jeong Gung’s construction. The building itself is a massive structure, its dome some 80 meters high, with 30-ton, 48-meter white granite columns, built into the side of Cheonseong Mountain. Situated midway between Seoul, South Korea, and Pyongyang, North Korea, it was to be the “capitol building” of Cheon Il Guk. True Father delivered a message on the occasion, “Cheon Il Guk Is the Ideal Heavenly Kingdom of Eternal Peace,” in which he outlined the “fundamental duties and mission that every citizen of Cheon Il Guk should understand and live by as they walk the way of Heaven.”

The Cheon Jeong Gung is home to a museum housing artwork and objects that hold historical importance or express Unification Thought and the ideals of peace. It is seen as a holy place, and many have made pilgrimages there because of its spiritual significance.
 

JUNE 14, 1976

True Father on the cover of Newsweek International

True Father being interviewed for the Newsweek magazine article.

True Father posing for the cover of Newsweek magazine’s June 14, 1976, international edition.

True Father granted an interview to Newsweek International’sexecutive and general editors. Excerpts from their three-hour conversation were published as part of a cover story on the Unification Church.  

In the interview, True Father explained the origins of the Unification Church and its mission, saying: “My new revelation has made the Will of God crystal clear. And what is that Will? It is to save the world. So the Unification Church is not another denomination—it’s a movement to save the world, and through the teaching of the word of God, each individual in our movement becomes absolutely clear about the concept of the God-centered individual, the God-centered family, the God-centered nation and the God-centered world.”

JUNE 14, 1999

Special Award to True Mother

True Father presented True Mother with a special award following completion of her World Speaking Tour in which she promoted true family values globally in 80 locations, including 24 speeches in the United States. True Mother spoke on “The Path of Life for All Humankind.” The award was also presented on the foundation of True Mother’s absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience in being “victorious over a suffering course of restoration through indemnity known only to Heaven” and for having “fulfilled the mission of a true child in front of Heaven, a true wife in front of her husband, and the mission of a true parent in front of her children.”
 

JUNE 15, 1958

Mission to Japan Begins

Mr. Sang ik (Bong-choon) Choi, known to Japanese members as Mr. Nishikawa, departed Korea to begin the mission to Japan. Because Korea and Japan had not yet established diplomatic relations, he was forced to smuggle into the country as a stowaway aboard a ship. He was arrested but avoided deportation by fasting to induce illness. He escaped after being transferred from prison to a medical clinic and successfully planted the Unification Church in Japan. In 1964, he was again arrested and this time deported. He then began mission work in the San Francisco Bay Area.

JUNE 15, 2015

Austrian Government Grants Unification Church Legal Status

After more than 40 years of being an “underground” movement, the Austrian branch of the Unification Church was officially recognized by the Austrian government on June 15, 2015. The federal government’s Office for Religious Affairs officially registered the Austrian Unification Church and recognized it as a “confessional community.” This was a significant step, as it meant the Unification Church had received “state recognition without privileges” from the federal government. The church became the eighth confessional community to be officially registered in Austria. The Unification Church was first established in Austria in 1965 with the arrival of missionary Paul Werner. However, in 1974 the church’s legal status as a religious association, which had been granted in 1966, was suspended by the Security Agency of Vienna. For decades, Unificationists in Austria fought the stigma placed on them by anti-cult advocates, who branded the association a “threat to public security and order.” The Austrian federal government’s decision rebutted those prejudicial claims, something that Unificationists in other parts of the world are still fighting for. This recognition came a month after True Mother joined 2,500 Unificationists from all over Europe in Vienna to celebrate 50 years of the Unification movement in Europe.

JUNE 17, 1971

Building the Cheongpyeong Training Center

Construction work to build the Cheongpyeong Training Center in Song-san Hamlet, Seorak Village, Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, began with True Father’s first dig at the riverside using a pickax on June 17, 1971. The 30 or so members who were attending a workshop at Sutaek-ri Training Center in the city of Guri to become pastors were all mobilized to help with the construction work. Today, forty-five years after it was erected on land that used to be a mulberry field, Cheongpyeong Training Center has become a global holy ground which Unificationists from different nations enjoy visiting. (Materials provided by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) History Compilation Committee)

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of June 11-17.

Contributed by Dr. Michael Mickler, Professor of Church History at Unification Theological Seminary.

Bestowing the Heavenly Scriptures

This week in history, June 4-10:

• The historic 72 Couples’ Holy Marriage Blessing held (June 4, 1962)
• Chairman Seung Ryong Moon ascends (June 4, 2012)
• D-Day landing in Europe takes place (June 6, 1944)
• True Father arrives in Pyeongyang, North Korea (June 6, 1946)
• The World Rally for Korean Freedom is held (June 7, 1975)
• The first Sunhak Peace Prize award recipients are selected (June 8, 2015)
• The work to build a-frame churches began in Korea (June 10, 1974)
• True Mother bestows the Heavenly Scriptures (June 10, 2013)

JUNE 4, 1962

72 Couples Holy Marriage Blessing Is Held

True Parents held the second major Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony after the original 36 Couples Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony on June 4, 1962. They blessed in marriage 72 couples. Providentially, these 72 couples are understood to represent Cain and Abel’s restored families in relationship to the 36 couples who represent the original ancestors. They also correspond to Jesus’ 72 disciples. According to True Father, “Through the unity of the 72 couples representing Cain and Abel with the 36 couples representing Adam and Eve, all providential requirements for the family have been met, and the restoration of the family has been completed.” The way was opened for expansion of the providence beyond the family.

JUNE 4, 2012

Chairman Seung Ryong Moon’s Ascension

True Father at right, Seung Ryong Moon holding the lid of the pot, and a mutual friend cook a meal together at their lodgings in Seoul, around 1939

Chairman Seung Ryong Moon, True Father’s second cousin and a continuous companion of True Father’s during his youth, ascended on June 4, 2012. Chairman Moon caught eels with True Father in pools near their hometown and accompanied True Father to school in Jeongju. He later attended high school with True Father in Seoul. Separated from True Father during the Korean War, Chairman Moon discovered him in Seoul during the mid-1950s and joined the Unification Church. He was blessed as one of the 36 couples and served as factory chief and chairman of Unification industrial enterprises. He was appointed national messiah to Burundi in 1996 and finally settled in the Geomundo Islands off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, following True Father’s direction. On his ascension, True Father wrote, “Congratulations on your Seonghwa and entry into the heavenly nation, blood brother of heavenly heart Chairman Seung Ryong Moon.”
 

JUNE 6, 1944

D-Day Landing in Europe

The Normandy landings (code-named Operation Neptune) were the landing operations on Tuesday, June 6, 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control and contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front. The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault of 24,000 American, British, and Canadian troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armored divisions began landing on the coast of France at 6:30 a.m. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach-clearing teams difficult and dangerous. However, the operation gained a foothold which the Allies gradually expanded over the coming months. German casualties on D-Day were around 1,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.

True Father referred to D-Day at several points in his ministry. In his Madison Square Garden speech of September 18, 1974, “The New Future of Christianity,” he said: “God has only been able to engage in ‘guerrilla warfare’ against Satan, not total war. However, God has been preparing for one great day, a heavenly ‘D-Day’ — like the D-Day of the Normandy landing — when God can launch an all-out offensive. That day is the day of the return of Christ.” The Unification movement subsequently referred to Foundation Day 2013 as the day on which the heavenly D-Day was fulfilled.

JUNE 6, 1946

True Father arrives in Pyeongyang, North Korea

True Father went to Pyeongyang, North Korea, in obedience to God’s revelation that he “Go across the 38th parallel! Find the people of God who are in the North” (As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, p. 84). True Father, who was then 26, had set out to pick up rice and was concerned for his wife and his first son, who was born only a month earlier, when he received this revelation. True Father has said, “God’s commands are very serious, and they must be followed without reservation or hesitation.” He took nothing with him except his Bible. Christianity had set down its roots deeply in Pyeongyang, and it was known as “the Jerusalem of the East.” However, it was then under communist occupation and more than a million refugees already had fled to the South. Upon arrival, True Father began his ministry in the North.

JUNE 7, 1975

World Rally for Korean Freedom

The World Rally for Korean Freedom was held on June 7, 1975, at the Seoul Yeouido Square with 1.2 million people. Over 1,000 representatives from 60 countries around the world participated and promised to defend Korea. Through True Father’s speech, ‘Korea Within the World,’ he emphasized that the ‘Rally for Korean Freedom is a global religious celebration which displays the resolution of the world to rise up and defend Korea’s freedom to the whole world.

JUNE 8, 2015

First Sunhak Peace Prize Award Recipients Selected

The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, headed by Chairman Il-Shik Hong, former secretary general of Korea University, announced the first Sunhak Peace Prize recipients at a press conference for domestic and foreign journalists at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2015. The recipients were Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta. Anote Tong at the time was the president of the Republic of Kiribati, a small Pacific island nation made up of 33 coral islands, which sustains a population of one hundred thousand people. With a very low average altitude of 2 meters above sea level, its islands gradually are being submerged by the rise in sea levels caused by recent years of global warming, and it faces the tragic fate of having its entire nation submerged by 2050. President Tong has been raising awareness about his homeland’s critical situation, promoting awareness in the global community on the gravity of climate change, and for this he has been highly praised. Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta is known as the “saint for poor people” for helping to quell starvation throughout Southeast Asian nations by developing revolutionary fish farming technology. As a biologist, his methods were responsible for an explosive increase in the number of fish through improving the breeding species of cultivated fish. The Sunhak Peace Prize, a “peace prize for future generations,” was created by True Mother to commemorate the work of True Father. The prize will be awarded to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions toward the peace and welfare of future generations. Recipients of the award will receive one million U.S. dollars.

JUNE 10, 1974

Building A-frame Churches

The work of building a-frame churches across South Korea started with the first shovel of earth in the city of Shintanjin on June 10, 1974. The 82.6-square-meter A-frame church was designed by Oem Deok Moon, who was True Father’s school friend in Japan. A team was organized for the construction, and 188 churches of this shape were built around the nation. True Father said that a building “should be a beautiful sight,” and at the time it had such an innovative form that it drew the attention of the people. Now, even 40 years later, some of these churches still remain.

JUNE 10, 2013

True Mother Bestows Heavenly Scriptures

True Mother and 1,000 Unificationists attended a joint event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) and the publication of a new edition of the Cheon Seong Gyeong and Pyeong Hwa Gyeong at the Cheongpyeong Training Center in Gapyeong, Korea, on June 10, 2013. As reported by Mr. Seok Byeong Kim, chairman of Seong Hwa Publications, “The existing Cheon Seong Gyeong had some misquoted and duplicated parts, which True Mother was sad to see.” The new edition corrected this and added speeches of True Father and True Mother from the 2000s. The Publication Committee followed strict guidelines in the publication process, which included planning, research, and selecting speeches, editing, supervision, verification and publication. True Mother described the 60 years of True Father’s work as “precious jewelry.” She reminded all present “to think about the seven billion people and make sure they are reborn as Cheon Il Guk citizens” and to “set today as a day of determination and invest all your energy to saving all of humankind centered on the precious words that God gave us.”

Rallies for Change

This week in history, May 28 – June 3:

• The Rally to Globalize True Families takes place (May 29, 1999)
• The Rally for Religious Freedom takes place (May 30, 1984)
• PWPA rescues the University of Bridgeport (May 30, 1992)
• True Father’s 1,000-day memorial is commemorated (May 30, 2015)
• Peace Road 2015 is launched around the world (May 30, 2015)
• HSA is officially registered in Korea (May 31, 1963)
• The First Summit Council for World Peace is held (May 31, 1997)
• True Father speaks at Yankee Stadium (June 1, 1976)
• Billy Graham preaches to 1.1 million on Seoul’s Yoido Island (June 3, 1973)
• Yeon Ah Moon is inaugurated as WFWP International President (June 3, 2014)

MAY 29, 1999

Rally to Globalize True Families

On May 29, 1999, True Mother held the Rally to Globalize True Families at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Her speech that day was titled, “The Path of Life for All Humankind.” In it, she said, “There must be some common content that will be pleasing to God, to the angels, to the rest of creation and to human beings themselves.” She went on to say that this common content is “true love.” This was the final rally that True Mother held in her 80-nation speaking tour, which had begun on April 12. 

MAY 30, 1984

Rally for Religious Freedom

The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal on May 14, 1984, to review True Father’s petition to overturn his conviction on tax evasion charges set off a series of “Rallies for Religious Freedom.” The first of these, in Washington, D.C., on May 30, 1984, brought together more than 300 clergy from over 60 denominations and some 200 laypersons, including civil liberties leaders and political figures, to denounce the threat to religious liberties posed by True Father’s conviction. The event was organized by the co-chairmen of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Freedom, Dr. Timothy LaHaye, chairman of the Moral Majority of California, and Dr. Joseph Lowery, chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The rally ended with Dr. La Haye challenging all present to stand with him and “say, as one individual, ‘I believe in religious freedom so much I am willing, if necessary and allowed, to spend one week of those eighteen months with Reverend Moon.’” Participants afterward signed a Religious Liberty Proclamation, and on the back of the document signed their commitment to go to prison with True Father. 
 

MAY 30, 1992

PWPA Rescues the University of Bridgeport

On May 30, 1992, the Board of Trustees of the University of Bridgeport reached an agreement with the Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA) whereby PWPA donated $50.5 million to the university, enabling it to stay open and maintain its accreditation. In exchange, PWPA had the right to nominate 60 percent of candidates for Board of Trustees vacancies and the university agreed to adopt an educational philosophy based on an international perspective. Including the initial loan, PWPA provided $110 million to the university over the next ten years. The UB-PWPA partnership was controversial because of PWPA’s ties to True Father and the Unification Church. However, the university prospered in subsequent years. In 2003, UB declared its financial independence and from that point on has been self-supporting, ending each year in the black, maintaining its accreditation and non-sectarian charter.

MAY 30, 2015

True Father’s 1,000-Day Memorial Celebration

The Unification movement observed the 1,000th day since True Father’s ascension in a service of Jeongseong(“devotional offering”) at the International Peace Education Center (IPEC) in Las Vegas. It was the first major event to be held at the magnificent structure. Special emissaries, regional leaders, current and former U.S. elected officials, Las Vegas commerce and industry leaders, and veterans—one thousand persons in all—participated, as well as 350 participants from Japan. The event also included an award ceremony to present special prizes to forty remarkable individuals from North America, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Middle East who had demonstrated exemplary efforts in faith and peace activities. True Mother stated, “True Father is here with us, and he is looking at all of you with a very happy heart, and he is wishing that all of you can fulfill your blessed responsibility and will, without fail, be centered on Heavenly Parent and together realize one world centering on Heavenly Parent.”

MAY 30, 2015

World Launch of Peace Road 2015

The world launch ceremony for Peace Road 2015 took place at the International Peace Education Center (IPEC) in Las Vegas, on the afternoon of May 30, 2015. Peace Road 2015 was a project dedicated to resolving the racial, religious and national conflicts occurring in different regions of the world, and uniting the collective will of the people of the world for peace. The route extended from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to Santiago, Chile. Participants in 127 countries walked or rode bicycles or other means of transportation. A thousand people attended the world launch ceremony, at which twenty young people on bicycles rode around Las Vegas, starting the world race. Simultaneous launching ceremonies occurred in Santiago, Chile, and the Cape of Good Hope. The Peace Road 2015 World Tour continued for 93 days (May 30 to August 30) in commemoration of True Father’s 93 years of life. Participants displayed flags and banners with the tour’s theme, “Peace Road, toward a World of Peace!”

MAY 31, 1963

HSA Officially Registered in Korea

True Father and four disciples founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) in May 1954. However, the church did not achieve legal recognition until May 31, 1963 when it was officially registered as a charitable organization (n. 261). Prior to that, the Unification Church was essentially an underground church. Widely vilified in Korean society, registration followed intensive pioneer witnessing in Korean villages. Legal recognition of the church in Korea followed the incorporation of HSA-UWC in the United States on September 18, 1961 and preceded legalization of the church in Japan in 1964.

MAY 31, 1997

First Summit Council for World Peace

True Father convened the First Summit Council for World Peace at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Korea on May 31, 1987. It was an outgrowth of the Summit Club which he established in 1981. The Council was conceived as a forum where world leaders, particularly former heads of state, prime ministers, and senior government officials, can utilize the best of their creative energies, knowledge, wisdom, experience, and statesmanship for the sake of world peace and development. In his Founder’s Address, “Challenges and Opportunities for World Peace,” True Father stated that the reason why it has been impossible to achieve world peace is that “the internal struggle that goes on within each individual has not yet been resolved.” World conflict, he said, “is nothing other than the manifestation of the inner conflict of individuals.” He argued it was necessary first to find peace with God, then peace with people through true love and on that foundation a world community of nations could be “substantially established” centered upon a common value system and eternal principles. Nine former Presidents, 9 former Prime Ministers, 12 former ministers of government, 17 nobility, 5 former ambassadors, 3 current ambassadors, one university president and 6 others attended the first Summit Council meeting. The Council played a significant role in True Parent’s meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev and relations with North Korea.
 

JUNE 1, 1976

America Is God’s Hope: The Yankee Stadium Rally

Forty years ago, our beloved True Father gave a public speech at Yankee Stadium in New York. He gave an urgent appeal to America to turn back to God. Yankee Stadium was the first of two major rallies held in 1976 as part of the movement’s Bicentennial God Bless America Festival.  The second was held at Washington Monument on September 18. True Father compared himself at Yankee Stadium to a doctor and firefighter who came from the outside to help America meet its third great test as a nation, that of God-denying communism.

A rainstorm with strong winds hit the stadium prior to the start of the rally, blowing away many of the decorations. Unificationists rose in their seats or danced on top of the Yankee Stadium dugouts, singing “You Are My Sunshine” until the storm subsided. Approximately 45,000 people attended.

At the time, True Father’s message was translated as “God’s Hope for America,” but recently the original text of the speech in Korean was located. The title that True Father himself chose was “America Is God’s Hope!” which adds even more meaning to this historic and providential message. A 25-minute video of historical footage at the Yankee Stadium Rally can be viewed here. True Father’s entire message is narrated. He declares his message in his own words in the video at around the 12:00 minute mark. To read the entire speech, click here.
 

JUNE 3, 1973

Billy Graham Preaches to 1.1 Million on Seoul’s Yoido Island

On June 3, 1973, U.S. Christian evangelist Billy Graham closed his 5-day crusade for Christ in Seoul, South Korea, in front of a crowd estimated by local officials to exceed 1.1 million in an open space of Yoido Island. It was the largest audience in the history of Graham’s ministry. The 5-day total exceeded the totals of his historic 16-week, 1957 New York City Crusade. Some 75,000 attendees made a decision for Christ during the crusade, helping to spur an explosive megachurch movement throughout Korea. Following the event, a helicopter rose from behind the platform. Dr. Han, the event chairman, put up his hand for silence. He explained that Billy Graham was leaving Korea that afternoon, and he could not say goodbye personally to everybody, but his helicopter would circle in farewell over the plaza. A group of Unificationists from the Seoul Western Center attended the rally. Dr. David Carlson wrote, “Our heartfelt prayers go to Dr. Billy Graham, and we hope that someday Unified Family members might speak to crowds such as listened to Dr. Graham, and perhaps even larger.” Dr. Carlson’s wish was fulfilled on June 7, 1975, when True Father spoke before 1.3 million at the same open space on Yoido Island as part of the World Rally for Korean Freedom.
 

JUNE 3, 2014

Yeon Ah Moon Inaugurated as WFWP International President

On June 3, 2014, the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) welcomed Professor Yeon Ah Moon, international vice president of the Family Federation for World Peace (FFWPU), as the new president of WFWP International and WFWP Korea. She became the third president of WFWP, succeeding Dr. Lan Young Moon, who would remain a close advisor to WFWP as president emeritus. Professor Moon taught Women’s Studies at Sun Moon University and expressed her resolve to lead WFWP in contributing to and supporting Vision 2020. True Parents founded WFWP in 1992. WFWP has members in 143 countries and is a UN NGO, having obtained general consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1997.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of May 28 – June 3.

Contributed by Dr. Michael Mickler, Professor of Church History at Unification Theological Seminary.

International Strides for Peace

This week in history, May 22-28:

• 118 couples receive the Holy Marriage Blessing (May 21, 1978)
• Rally for the Declaration of Absolute Values for the sake of Harmony and Unification is held (May 21, 2004)
• True Father concludes the 2011 World Peace Tour in Las Vegas (May 21, 2011)
• Peter Koch departs as the first missionary to Europe (May 22, 1963)
• The American Clergy Leadership Conference is inaugurated (May 22, 2000)
• The Universal Ballet Company is established (May 24, 1984)
• Women of Peace Rally takes place in Jerusalem (May 24, 2004)
• Interfaith clergy attend the Marriage Blessing Ceremony (May 27, 2001)
   

MAY 21, 1978

Holy Marriage Blessing of 118 Couples

On May 21, 1978, in London, True Father with Ye Jin Moon (representing True Mother) blessed 118 couples in holy matrimony. Of the 118 couples, 106 were international; only 12 couples were matched with the same nationality. Most of the Germans present were matched with their age-old enemies, the French. The blessing served to launch International One World Crusade activities in Europe. More than 1200 members gathered in London and, soon after, were augmented by two classes of Unification Theological Seminary students who were pioneering Home Church.
 

MAY 21, 2004

Rally for the Declaration of Absolute Values for the Sake of Harmony and Unification

On May 21, 2004, the Rally for the Declaration of Absolute Values for the Sake of Harmony and Unification occurred at Blue Sea (Cheonghae) Garden, Yeosu, in South Jeolla Province. True Father spoke under the title “The Purpose of True Love, Harmony and Unity Is the Perfection of the Absolute Values of True Families” in front of 13,000 people at the Blue Sea Garden plaza, revealing that a family attains perfection through the absolute values of true love. On this day, 450 participants from seven nations established sisterhood relationships with 450 Korean participants, and those present determined to carry out peace endeavors for harmony and unity through a sibling love transcending nationality and race. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)
 

MAY 21, 2011

True Father Concludes 2011 World Peace Tour in Las Vegas

True Father conducted his final world tour, a World Peace Tour of ten nations in 28 days, traveling 28,000 miles at age 91. He spoke in Seoul, Korea; Madrid, Spain; Rome, Italy; Oslo, Norway; Athens, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; London, England; Geneva, Switzerland; and Berlin, Germany. His final and only U.S. stop was in Las Vegas on May 21. There, he told an international audience of over 3,000 in the Aria City Center that God had great expectations for the long-notorious gaming capital of the world, that it will soon gain a new reputation as a “city of giving.” In support of that, True Parents sponsored a charity slot tournament at the Aria Resort the morning of the event for 300 participants with proceeds from the $500 entry fee going to local charities. True Father envisioned each stop of the tour as an interreligious assembly and representatives of faith bodies were prominent participants.

MAY 22, 1963

Peter Koch Departs as the First Missionary to Europe

Peter Koch immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1957. In 1959, he began engineering studies in San Francisco where he met and joined the Unification Church in January 1962. He was concerned to reach other foreign students and spent much of September and October 1962 hand-signing letters to 1,900 foreign students at the University of California, Berkeley. He subsequently “felt responsible for my people at home” and determined “to bring the Principle to Europe.” He departed by ship on May 22, 1963, arrived in Holland on June 13, printed 80 copies of the Divine Principle in German, and decided to begin his mission work in Heidelberg, some 225 miles from where he had been staying. He determined to walk rather than take a train, as a condition. However, within 25 miles he developed severe blisters due to defective boots. By the fourth day, blisters extended to his ankles, and all the skin pulled off the flesh of his feet. Wrapping his feet and refusing to stop, he later wrote, “That was certainly my worst experience. I did a 40-day fast once, but it was nothing compared to that 21-day trip to Heidelberg on raw feet. I’ll never forget that. That was my foundation for starting the mission in Germany.” He was a successful missionary, leading the church in Germany until 1969, and in Austria after that. Starting in 1980, he dispatched missionaries to the Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, East Germany, and Albania—all communist countries—as chronicled in the book, Mission Butterfly.
 

MAY 22, 2000

American Clergy Leadership Conference Inaugurated

The American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) was established on May 22, 2000, when 120 clergy from seventeen denominations traveled to Seoul, Korea, for the inaugural conference. Their trips to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where they released 150 doves of peace, and to the movement’s Cheongpyeong Heaven and Earth Training Center were particularly significant. At Cheongpyeong, ministers witnessed “a rainbow around the sun,” which many interpreted as a sign that True Father was from God. ACLC clergy later played a central role in True Father’s 2001 “We Will Stand in Oneness” 50-state speaking tour. Sixty ACLC clergy and their spouses took part in True Parents’ inaugural Interfaith Marriage Blessing in 2001. ACLC clergy also were major players in launching True Parents’ Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI) and pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 2003. ACLC remains active as a committed core of clergy who understand Rev. and Mrs. Moon’s identity as the “True Parents of Humankind.”
 

MAY 24, 1984

Universal Ballet Company Established

The Universal Ballet was established by True Parents in May 1984 as the first private ballet company of Korea. It began in a practice room in the back of the Sunhwa (Little Angels) Arts School. At that time, male ballet dancers in Korea were so rare that the company had employees from the print shop dancing on stage. However, under the direction of Adrienne Dellas, Kirov Ballet Director Oleg Vinogradov and prima ballerina Julia (Hoon Sook) Moon, the company developed a national and international reputation. Julia Moon noted: “We pioneered ballet in Korea when it was very primitive. … We were the first to bring choreographers, teachers, costume and set designers and dancers from the West to Korea. We have been and still are a leader in the field of ballet in Korea.” True Father gave the motto Ye Cheon Mi Ji (Heavenly Art Creating a World of Beauty). He said, “Ballet is truly a heavenly art form. The dancers stretch themselves upward to the ultimate degree to reach God in heaven. Ballet uses the entire body as an instrument to express humans’ aspiration toward God. In this sense, it is the ultimate expression of artistic beauty.”
 

MAY 24, 2004

Women of Peace Rally in Jerusalem

The Middle East Peace Initiative by woman leaders took place in Jerusalem, Israel, over four days beginning on May 24, 2004. The Women’s Federation for World Peace International and the Interreligious and International Peace Council co-hosted the programs, which included a seminar on religious harmony, followed by a ceremony to bring harmony and peace in the Middle East and a peace march. The participating women have maintained connections with one another through continuous meetings. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)
 

MAY 27, 2001

Interfaith Clergy Attend Marriage Blessing Ceremony

The American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) was established in May 2000 when 120 clergy from 17 denominations traveled to Korea for the inaugural meeting. With ACLC support, True Father undertook a 50-state “We Will Stand in Oneness” revival tour in early 2001. During that tour, which emphasized the sanctity of marriage, individual clergy began to seek True Parents’ blessing on their marriages. This snowballed and, in the end, more than 60 “ministers, imams, and clerics: Pentecostals and Baptists, Lutherans and Muslims, Native Americans, Sufis, and more” participated in an Interfaith Clergy Marriage Blessing Ceremony in the Cotillion Room of the Hilton Hotel in New York City on May 27, 2001. The Blessing included a “providential participant,” Zambian Roman Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, 71, who wed Maria Sung, 43, a Korean acupuncturist. While acknowledging that “the priestly vow of celibacy has a profound meaning in the providence of God,” he stated, “the sacrifice of celibate life has fulfilled its purpose.” He insisted he had not changed his faith but affirmed True Parents’ “special ministry to build loving, God-centered families amongst people of all faiths, in the capacity of True Parents.” This sparked worldwide publicity, surfacing the issue of clerical celibacy at the highest levels of the Vatican hierarchy.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of  May 22-28.

Contributed by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee and Dr. Michael Mickler, Professor of Church History at the Unification Theological Seminary.

To be Undeterred

This week in history, May 14-20:

• The U.S. Supreme Court declines True Father’s appeal (May 14, 1984)
• 33 Couples’ Holy Blessing Ceremony is held (May 15, 1961)
• The Sun Myung Moon Christian Crusade kicks off (May 15, 1974)
• Citizens Federation for the Unification of the Fatherland is inaugurated (May 15, 1987)
• True Father begins a 17-nation speaking tour in South America (May 16, 1995)
• The Washington Times begins publication (May 17, 1982)
• The Washington Times celebrated its 25th anniversary (May 17, 2007)
• Rev. Paul Werner pioneers Austria (May 18, 1965)
• A U.S. jury returns the guilty verdict against True Father (May 18, 1982)
• Clergy and Rabbis sign the Jerusalem Declaration (May 18, 2003)
• True Father initiates Il Jeung (“One Heart”) prayer (May 19, 1984)
• True Father enters Heungnam Prison (May 20, 1948)
• True Parents declare the Day of the Love of God and bequeath Ae Chun candles (May 20, 1984)
   

MAY 14, 1984

U.S. Supreme Court Declines True Father’s Appeal

Harvard Law scholar Lawrence Tribe speaking on True Father’s court proceedings at the Federal Court House in New York.

In his book Inquisition, The Persecution and Prosecution of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carlton Sherwood argued that True Father’s 1981 conviction on tax evasion charges was the result of “the most intensive and expensive criminal tax investigation of any religious figure in U.S. history.” However, the conviction had the effect of generating broad-based public support for True Father.  By April 1984, forty groups and individuals representing more than 120 million Americans had filed amicus curiae briefs in support of his appeal, including the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Conference of Black Mayors, the National Bar Association, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the attorneys general of Hawaii, Oregon and Rhode Island, Eugene McCarthy and Clare Boothe Luce. The Supreme Court’s refusal on May 14, 1984, to review True Father’s petition, despite this groundswell of support, set off a series of “Rallies for Religious Freedom.” Even The Washington Post, no friend of the church or the competing Washington Times, editorialized that “the case deserves attention and full Supreme Court review.” Ironically, the church emerged from True Father’s conviction on more solid ground than it had been before.

MAY 15, 1961

33 Couples Holy Blessing Ceremony is Held

True Parents conducted the 33 Couple Holy Blessing in the Chungpa-Dong Church Headquarters on May 15, 1961. Together with the Three Couples whom True Parents blessed on April 16, 1960, they comprise the 36 Couple Blessing group. True Father called them the “ancestors” of all the blessed couples to come after them. He also regarded them as “the representatives of all types of people on earth” and viewed them as being needed to “pave the way to the Kingdom of Heaven and act as guides for others.” True Father explained that the 36 Couples consisted of three groups of 12, symbolizing the Old Testament, New Testament and Completed Testament ages. They also were wedded in three phases: the first at dawn, the second during the day, and the third at night. True Father recalled that the 33 Couple Blessing Ceremony was held “amid great confusion and chaos.” He noted, “The parents of the 33 Couples came swarming about the place, shouting all kinds of insults at us and creating a continuous uproar. Some went so far as to send dozens of anonymous letters to the court of justice, demanding I be sent to jail; as a result, I had to appear in court on several occasions.” According to True Father, the parents were upset that he “brought together other people’s children and married them at my own discretion, without discussing it with the parents at all.” He recalled, “We finally had to have someone stand guard at the door before we could go through with the ceremony.”
 

MAY 15, 1974

The Sun Myung Moon Christian Crusade Kicks Off

The Unification movement hoped to reap a harvest of new members as a result of True Father’s 7-City, 21-City and 32-City Day of Hope tours from 1972 to 1974. To facilitate this, the movement launched a Sun Myung Moon Christian Crusade (SMCC) 10-city “Celebration of Life” tour that evangelized in each of the ten regions of the country. Beginning in the Bay Area, the itinerary included stops in Seattle; St. Paul, Minnesota; Austin, Texas; New Orleans; Miami; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Boston; and Rochester, New York. Billed as “A 21st Century Experience,” programs included an hour and fifteen minutes of entertainment—songs, solos, skits, dances and testimonials—followed by forty-five minutes of inspiration from “God’s Colonel” Bo Hi Pak, on key points of the Unification Principle. Weeklong stops in each city featured a Celebration of Life weekend workshop.

As a result of tour innovations, advance preparation and media coverage, the Celebration of Life drew substantial crowds. SMCC’s “World Premiere” from May 15 to 17, 1974, at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California, drew 2,600 guests and 34 participants for a weekend workshop in the Santa Cruz Mountains. By Boston, the three-day total was up to 7,562. Equally important was the emergence of the New Hope Singers International and the Korean Folk Ballet. Both would make signal contributions to the culminating eight-city Day of Hope tour, scheduled to begin in September 1974 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

 

MAY 15, 1987

Citizens Federation for the Unification of the Fatherland Inaugurated

True Father inaugurated the Citizens Federation for the Unification of the Fatherland (CFUF) at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center in Seoul, Korea, on May 15, 1987. Its purpose was to facilitate the long-cherished hope and desire of the Korean people for the unification of their homeland. However, True Father viewed the re-unification of Korea in larger terms: “Korea’s problems are a smaller version of the world’s problems, and the solution of the world’s problems is essentially linked with Korea’s problems.” In particular, he saw the division of Korea as a manifestation of a global confrontation between theism and atheism. The solution to the problem was Godism and “Head-wing” thought which transcended the “ego-centered or power-oriented” thought of left- and right-wing movements.

True Father launched CFUF at a propitious time. He noted that the movement of international communism was “coming to its final phase” and that Korea was about to emerge on the world stage through the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This opened the way for the founding of the Segye Times newspaper, True Parents’ eventual meeting with North Korean President Kim Il Sung and activities promoting peaceful reunification that followed. CFUF, as a grassroots and high-level educational movement, played a significant role in these developments.

MAY 16, 1995

True Father Begins a 17-Nation Speaking Tour in South America

True Father believed that the unity of North and South America was a providential necessity that would set a condition for the unification of North and South Korea. To that end, he launched CAUSA activities in Latin America during the 1980s and began investing directly in South America during the 1990s. Beginning on May 16, 1995, True Father undertook an ambitious speaking tour of 17 Latin American nations, which included audiences with eight heads of state. In these speeches and meetings he emphasized the region’s “stunning, and abundant, potential.” As he put it: “There are seemingly unlimited natural resources, and the human energies have hardly begun to be tapped. Latin America is a rich, peaceful, natural paradise of grandiose mountains and virgin lands. The mountains, rivers and jungles [hark] back to the original state of creation, the Garden of Eden.” Contemplating “the glory-filled days that await Latin America in the 21st century,” he counseled leaders to “not follow the footsteps of the developed nations,” blindly repeating “environmental errors” and falling into selfish materialism.

True Father hoped to persuade the governments of the Mercosur customs union (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile) to donate contiguous lands for development “as a model for an ideal, international and interracial nation and world.” However, when they did not step forward sufficiently, Unificationists businesses began purchasing vast tracts of land in the South American interior. The assumption was that if the leaders of North and South America, or elsewhere, could not respond to True Father’s vision of unification, they would have to be shown a working model. Thus began the South American providence to which substantial resources were dedicated in the late 1990s.
 

MAY 17, 1982

The Washington Times Begins Publication

The Washington Times, a daily newspaper, published its first issue on May 17, 1982. Publishing tens of thousands of papers every morning and having a headquarters located in Washington, D.C., it became the second largest newspaper in the nation’s capital after The Washington Post. True Father spoke of the significance behind the establishment of The Washington Times, saying that he had started a newspaper, a business that even affluent people were giving up on, to save the United States and what was then known as the Free World. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

MAY 17, 2007

The Washington Times’ 25th Anniversary

Under the theme “A Quarter Century of Dedication and Distinction,” The Washington Times observed its 25thanniversary with a gala event at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. More than 1,100 leading figures in politics, culture, and journalism representing 82 nations took part in the celebration. U.S. President George W. Bush, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Polish Prime Minister Jarosaw Kaczynski, and Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa were among those who sent messages of congratulations. Former President George H.W. Bush delivered the keynote address complementing the Times for challenging “what many of us felt was a prevailing liberal bias” and thanked True Father “for his vision in launching this newspaper,” reminding the audience that “without him, there would be no Washington Times.” True Father delivered the Founder’s Address, “A Providential View of the Pacific Rim Era in Light of God’s Will,” which he had originally delivered in Hawaii and, now with True Mother, was delivering worldwide. He noted, “The development of human civilization has completed a circuit of the entire globe and has arrived at the Pacific sphere.” Human history, he declared, “has come to a point in time in the providence at which it should reach completion and fruition through the Pacific Rim region.”
 

MAY 18, 1965

Rev. Paul Werner Pioneers Austria

Paul Werner (lower left) at a meeting in San Francisco, circa 1964.

Rev. Paul Werner, his wife, Christel, and their son, Klaus, were among a group of German Unificationists who joined in the San Francisco Bay area under Dr. Young Oon Kim during the early 1960s. In April 1964, the Werners returned to Germany, where they joined Peter Koch who had returned the previous year. On May 18, 1965, Rev. Werner left for Austria, becoming the first missionary going out from Germany. He traveled there alone in a Volkswagen van, which was his “center” for the next half-year. Rev. Werner wrote, “I prayed day and night and fasted most of the time.” With Rev. Werner as driver, his VW van also served to transport True Father across Europe during True Father’s first world tour in 1965. Over time, Rev. Werner won members, established centers and founded the Austrian church. On May 18, 1969, four years to the day after Rev. Werner’s arrival in Austria, True Father asked him to lead the German movement and for Peter Koch to take over leadership of the movement in Austria.

MAY 18, 1982

U.S. Jury Returns Guilty Verdict against True Father

The cover of Inquisition, by Pulitzer prize-winning author Carlton Sherwood

The Unification Church won a series of court cases in 1982. After several years of struggle, it gained unambiguous legal recognition as a bona fide religion with full tax-emption privileges, public solicitation rights, and access to missionary visas. It also was able to extend civil rights protections to members and successfully press for damages against deprogrammers. However, the church lost the one case that was the most highly publicized, most costly, and that mattered to it the most; this was The United States v. Sun Myung Moon. Tax convictions have been a time-honored way to root out undesirables, and although the review process makes this more difficult to do within the American legal system, there has been a tendency for the politically ambitious to go after unpopular figures. In True Father case, a letter from U.S. Senator Robert Dole to the IRS Commissioner, which called for an audit of the church, led to what Carlton Sherwood termed “the most intensive and extensive criminal tax investigation of any religious figure in U.S. history.”

The odd thing about True Father’s case was that it continued to move forward in the face of so many obstacles. First, the audit of his tax returns for 1973–1975 showed a total liability of $7,300, less than the $2,500 per year required by IRS guidelines for criminal prosecution. Second, three career attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department questioned whether there was any liability at all and signed off on a written memorandum that prosecution was not warranted. Third, the prosecuting attorney had to convene three grand juries before gaining the necessary indictments. Fourth, jury members who, according to the trial judge, met the criteria of  being people who “don’t read much, don’t talk much, and don’t know much” had to sift through over 2,000 documentary exhibits and technical argumentation that glazed the eyes of even trained legal observers over. In the end, neither True Father nor the movement was able to stem the government’s determination to gain a conviction. The trial began on April 1, 1982 and lasted approximately six weeks. On May 18, 1982, the jury returned its verdict against True Father.

MAY 18, 2003

Clergy and Rabbis Sign the Jerusalem Declaration

May 18, 2003, was a momentous day of the first Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI) Holy Land Peace Pilgrimage. U.S. clergy awoke early and left their hotel in busses at 5:30 a.m. to go to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It was fortunate they left at this time because at 6:00 a.m. a suicide bomber set off a blast two blocks from the hotel, killing seven people and injuring 22. All traffic was stopped and had the clergy left any later, they would not have been able to pass. From there, they offered a 30-minute service at the site of Golgotha and then traveled a mile or so to the Potter’s Field, also referred to as the Field of Blood, which, according to Matthew 27, the chief priests purchased with the 30 pieces of silver Judas got for betraying Jesus. Pastors lifted a wooden cross, about six feet high, as they marched down a winding road to the Potter’s Field. At the site, ministers placed the cross in a hole previously dug to its exact dimensions by Israeli FFWPU members. They placed a FFWPU flag, “dated and signed by representative leaders,” on top. The ceremony concluded with participants putting “soil on the cross one-by-one, repenting for the false faith” that was “preventing Christianity and Judaism from achieving reconciliation.”

On that foundation, the 135 U.S. clergy met with a similar number of Israeli rabbis as well as ten imams for a day-long “Conference for Jewish and Christian Reconciliation and Harmony.” The highlight of this was the Jerusalem Declaration in which the clergy and rabbis repented “for the dark parts of our past” and sought “a bright future together.” In reality, it was not easy to obtain the signatures. According to one report, “the main rabbi strongly rejected…signing his name.” In addition, “Some rabbis were upset that the declaration would even be considered.” However, in an unscripted moment, a key rabbi stated, “I will sign it if my Moslem brother will sign it with me.” A leading sheik marched forward and “the three brothers collapsed into an embrace.” One observer recounted, “This opened the floodgates and everyone rushed to the front to sign.”

MAY 19, 1984

True Father Initiates Il Jeung (“One Heart”) Prayer

True Father initiated the Il Jeung (“One Heart”) prayer association on May 19, 1984. He declared that the sovereignty of God’s true love finally had moved from the individual, family, and national levels to the worldwide level. In order for them to inherit God’s love, he called on Unificationists to establish a tradition of offering prayer conditions. He invited each member of the worldwide Unification Church, according to his or her individual schedule, to offer a prayer vigil from midnight to 4:00 a.m. once each forty days. He also asked each member to make a one-day (or at least one-meal) fasting condition once every forty days and to establish an Il Jeung Fund. These conditions were especially important in maintaining movement solidarity during the period in which True Father was imprisoned at Danbury.

MAY 20, 1948

True Father Enters Heungnam Prison

After being arrested for the second time in North Korea on February 22, 1948, True Father was charged with being a spy for the South and for disturbing the social order. Some 80 Christian ministers who had lost members to True Father’s group precipitated this action by writing letters to the police. True Father was once again tortured and wrote later, “My body still carries several scars that I received then.” He went on trial on April 7 and was convicted. He wrote in his autobiography, “Many of the most famous ministers in North Korea came to the courtroom and accused me of all manner of crimes.” That day he was taken to Pyongyang Prison where he remained until  he was transported to Heungnam on May 20, nearly three months following his arrest. True Father wrote, “I felt indignation and also shamed before heaven. I was tied to a thief so I could not escape. We were taken by a vehicle on a route that took 17 hours. As I looked out the window a powerful feeling of grief welled up inside me. It seemed incredible to me that I would have to travel this winding road along rivers and through valleys as a prisoner.”

MAY 20, 1984

True Parents Declare the Day of the Love of God and Bequeath Ae Chun Candles

At 12:54 a.m. on May 16, 1984, True Parents established the Day of the Love of God and created Ae Chun (“Love of God”) candles. This was two days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review True Father’s petition that his 1981 conviction on tax evasion charges be overturned. On May 20, True Parents declared the day to Unificationists and also bequeathed Ae Chun candles to them. The Ae Chun candles exist as a pair. One is referred to as a “Father” candle and the other, a “Mother” candle. As they represent the harmony and love of the True Parents, the candles are always to be burned together. It was understood that Ae Chun candles should be burned during prayer for a high-level purpose—i.e., national, world or cosmic level. In his prayer to God, True Father said, “Wherever this candle burns, may the family be united, and may that family have peace, connecting with the sovereignty of Your love through this light.”

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of  May 14-20.

Contributed by Dr. Michael Mickler, Professor of Church History at the Unification Theological Seminary.

From Humble Beginnings to a Global Legacy

This week in history, May 8-14:

• Harlem, New York welcomes True Parents (May 8, 2001)
• A tribute to True Parents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary and “Legacy of Peace” honorees is held (May 9, 2010)
• True Father completes the original text of the Divine Principle (May 10, 1952)
• True Mother celebrates 50 years of the Unification Movement in Europe (May 10, 2015)
• Student members expelled from Ewha Womans University (May 11, 1955)
• True Father receives an honorary Doctorate from Shaw University Divinity School (May 11, 1985)
• True Mother, UPF and FFWPU designate a donation of $1 million to Nepal earthquake victims (May 11, 2015)
• The first MEPI Pilgrimage begins (May 12, 2003)
• The New Yorker Hotel is purchased (May 13, 1976)
• “True Parents and the Completed Testament Age” speaking tour begins (May 13, 1993)

MAY 8, 2001

Harlem, New York Welcomes True Parents

Some 2,800 clergy and faithful packed Harlem’s historic Canaan Baptist Church on Tuesday evening, March 8, 2001, to welcome True Parents and a host of national religious leaders. The visit, at the invitation of New York clergy and hosted by civil rights pioneer Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, celebrated the successful interfaith tour of 52 cities in 52 days entitled “We Will Stand.” With the theme “Rebuild the Family, Restore the Community, Renew the Nation and World,” the tour emphasized the need for the faith community to work together beyond race and denomination for the healing and renewal of America. The tour reached over 100,000 people, including 14,000 clergy. True Father’s keynote address was “God Is Our King and True Parent.” He explained that to establish a new era, all people of faith must follow three immutable laws. First, he said, do not stain your lineage through sexual immorality and infidelity. Second, he said, do not infringe upon or violate human rights, which are based upon the equal value of every human being in the eyes of God. Third, do not steal or abuse money or property selfishly, at the expense of others. His direct and challenging words drew strong applause and repeated shouts of “Amen.”

MAY 9, 2010

A Tribute to True Parents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary and “Legacy of Peace” Honorees

Twelve hundred guests gathered in the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas to pay tribute to the 50th wedding anniversary of True Parents and participate in the final “Legacy of Peace” program in a series that began at the United Nations in March. Organized by the Universal Peace Federation, the event focused on True Parents’ lifelong vision to establish a global community of nations and religions—an “Abel UN”—guided by the ideal of “one family under God.” It was held during the year of True Father’s 90th birthday and the publication of his autobiography. The “Legacy of Peace” program honored those recently deceased persons who had contributed to the cause of world peace during their lifetime. Highlights of the program included interfaith prayer by religious leaders, congratulatory remarks by Neil Bush, and True Father’s three-hour speech on “The Establishment of the Abel UN and the Completion of God’s Kingdom of Cheon Il Guk in Korea.”
 

MAY 10, 1952

True Father Completes the Original Text of the Divine Principle

Front cover of the original Divine Principle manuscript

In his autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, True Father states that he began writing the original version of Divine Principle (Wolli Wonbon) in a shelter for laborers in Pusan. This was in late April or May 1951. He continued writing it after he moved in August with Won Pil Kim, his first disciple, to a small hut they constructed on a hillside overlooking Pusan Harbor.  True Father spent much of his time writing on top of a large rock. He would write several pages a day and have Won Pil Kim read them back to him at night. Sometimes True Father worked by the light of a lantern in their hut. Won Pil Kim recounts that True Father woke him once in the middle of the night and dictated an entire section which Won Pil Kim recorded non-stop. True Father noted that on the day he finished writing Wolli Wonbon, he put his pencil down and prayed, “The moment has come for me to evangelize. Please send me the saints to whom I may give witness.” That very day, Hyun Shil Kang, a young female theological student, visited the hut to evangelize and became a follower. Copies of Wolli Wonbon circulated as hand-written manuscripts for several years until superseded by Wolli Haesul (Explanation of Divine Principle) in 1957.

MAY 10, 2015

True Mother Celebrates 50 Years of the Unification Movement in Europe

In August 1954, David Sang Cheol Kim went to Wales as the first Unificationist overseas missionary. In June 1963, Peter Koch arrived in Germany as the first Unificationist missionary to the European mainland. However, the European Unification Movement considers True Father’s visit to Europe in July 1965, as part of his first worldwide tour through 40 countries, to be its true beginning. At that time, True Father dedicated 19 Holy Grounds in Europe, planting Korean soil and stones in various cities such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris, Geneva, Vaduz, Vienna, Rome and Athens. In a series of events from May 9 to 15, 2015, the European movement celebrated its 50th anniversary. The major event was in Vienna, Austria, on May 10, when True Mother spoke to a gathering of over 2,400 friends and members from all over Europe in Vienna’s largest conference hall. True Mother said, “I came here today with a fluttering heart—with the heart a parent experiences when visiting a daughter after sending her off to marriage fifty years earlier, the heart felt when visiting a son that had left home.” She noted that “Christianity and Christian culture bloomed centered on Europe” and called on Unificationists to “awaken European Christians, who are unaware that the returning Messiah … has emerged as the True Parents and that for fifty years they have accomplished amazing things.”

MAY 11, 1955

Student Members Expelled from Ewha Womans University

Ewha Womans University expelled students for the simple reason of their attending the Unification Church. This case represents the religious oppression that occurred just a year after the founding of the Unification Church. The school, which has a Christian background, had fired five professors the previous March for the same reason. Later, these expelled students transferred to Sookmyung Women’s University and other universities to complete their studies. (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee.)

MAY 11, 1985

True Father Receives Honorary Doctorate from Shaw University Divinity School

True Mother accepts an honorary doctorate on True Father’s behalf from Shaw Divinity School in North Carolina.

On May 11, 1985, Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, North Carolina, awarded True Father an honorary doctorate of divinity. The award was especially meaningful in that Shaw made the award while True Father was incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution at Danbury, Connecticut. Dr. Joseph Paige, Shaw University’s executive vice president, later declared, “It was the first time that a major institution in America had been bold enough and honest enough and serious enough to honor this great leader.” He said True Father was being awarded for “his Christian leadership, his strong fight against communism and communist aggression, and his outstanding contribution in support of religious liberty, world peace, racial, economic and social justice, ecumenism and, more specifically, the unity of world Christianity.” True Mother accepted the award for True Father and delivered the acceptance speech. She stated that True Father shared with Shaw University and the Divinity School a commitment to international, interreligious and interracial harmony. 

MAY 11, 2015

True Mother, UPF and FFWPU Designate a Donation of $1 million to Nepal Earthquake Victims

On April 25, 2015, a major earthquake killed over 8,000 people and injured more than 21,000 in Nepal. It was the worst disaster in that country since 1934. It also triggered a landslide on Mount Everest that killed 21 people. Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless, with entire villages flattened across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. In response, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) and True Mother designated a donation of US $1 million to Nepal to be used as relief for the victims.

Of this amount, $500,000 went to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, while the other half went to FFWPU-Nepal for distribution. Ek Nath Dhakal, chairman of UPF Nepal, said, “These funds will be utilized to provide relief and recovery to the earthquake victims.” Prime Minister Sushil Koirala was quoted as saying: “We clearly remember all the great work of Father and Mother Moon to Nepal. For that reason, Nepal has a high regard for Father and Mother Moon.” The Nepalese had received True Parents very well at the national level on numerous occasions.

MAY 12, 2003

The First MEPI Pilgrimage Tour Begins

At the height of the Second Intifada (2000-2005) and the beginning of the second Iraq War, True Parents launched what was to become the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI), a project initially of the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace and later of its successor, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). The MEPI concept was based upon True Father’s vision of interreligious peacemaking and his conviction that the resolution of conflict, particularly in Israel, was integral to world peace. This was especially true for the Middle East. True Father believed that Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders needed to resolve their differences as a condition for the cessation of violence. This lay behind his call for Christian clergy to “take down the cross” and undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to be reconciled with their Jewish brethren. The first of the MEPI pilgrimages took place from May 12 to 19, 2003, and included 131 clergy. They traveled first to Rome, and then to Israel. They visited holy and historical sites at both locations. However, their main purposes were to bury the cross and reconcile, at least symbolically, with Jewish brethren, both of which they accomplished. Thousands of interreligious peacemakers traveled to the Holy Land under MEPI auspices between 2003 and 2014. MEPI events have included peace missions and fact-finding tours, service and youth activities, cultural programs, and conferences.

MAY 13, 1976

The New Yorker Hotel Purchased

The Unification Church purchased the New Yorker Hotel at Eighth Avenue and 34th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan on May 13, 1976. The 43-story, 1,083-room hotel, which first opened in 1930, is near Pennsylvania Station, Madison Square Garden, Times Square and the Empire State Building. Much like its contemporaries the Empire State Building (1931) and the Chrysler Building (1930), the New Yorker was designed in the Art Deco style popular at the time. When the 1 million-square-foot hotel opened, it contained 2,500 rooms, making it the city’s largest for many years and one of the most fashionable during the 1940s and 1950s. A pronounced decline in New York’s fortunes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, coupled with the construction of new, more modern hotels, caused the New Yorker to become unprofitable, and it was vacant for several years before being purchased by the church for a reported $5.6 million. It served as the Unification Church’s World Mission Center from 1976 to 1994. In 1994, the church converted a portion of the building to use as a hotel again. The New Yorker joined the Ramada chain in 2000 and the Wyndham chain in 2014. The New Yorker served as a staging area for the 1982 Holy Blessing of 2,075 Couples in Madison Square Garden and for many of True Parents’ speeches and providential activities.
 

MAY 13, 1993

“True Parents and the Completed Testament Age” Speaking Tour Begins

On January 10, 1993, True Father announced the transition that day “to the Completed Testament Era.” Three months later, on April 10, the Unification Church published a statement, “True Parents and the Completed Testament Age,” in the newspapers of 160 nations. The next month, on May 13, True Parents began a speaking tour of 33 U.S. cities under the same theme. True Father spoke in the first 12 cities from May 13 to 24. True Mother then covered 21 cities from May 26 to June 28. The tour was extended to include 23 additional cities during July, thereby covering all fifty states. True Mother delivered the address at the U.S. Capitol and the United Nations, which was a springboard to the world tour. She conducted 25 rallies in Japan, 40 in Korea, and another 40 in countries throughout the world.

The speech testified to “the establishment of the first True Family.” True Father declared: “My wife and I, together with our thirteen children and twenty-four grandchildren, are absolutely dedicated to serving God and humanity. With three generations in one family, we have achieved on the family level the central root, the central trunk and the central bud of the ‘Tree of Life’ mentioned in the Bible. It is our sincere hope that you will symbolically graft into this lineage by joining us in our efforts to create an ideal nation and world. This marks the beginning of the Completed Testament Age.”

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of  May 8 – 13.

Contributed by Dr. Michael Mickler, professor of church history at Unification Theological Seminary.

64 Years Since the Founding of HSA-UWC

MAY 1, 1954

The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) is Founded

True Father established the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC, or Unification Church) on May 1, 1954. The armistice agreement ending the Korean War was signed in July 1953, and in September True Father moved from Pusan to Seoul. There, with four early followers, True Father established the new association. According to Dr. David S.C. Kim, who was present, True Father submitted three possible names, two of which “were so complicated that we could not even comprehend the meaning of the Chinese characters.” True Father stated in his autobiography that the group chose HSA-UWC “to signify that we belonged to no denomination, and … had no plans to create a new one.” He said: “I did not want to place ourselves in this separatist type of category. My hope was for the rise of a church without a denomination. True religion tries to save the nation, even if it has to sacrifice its own religious body to do so. … It was necessary to hang out a church sign, but in my heart I was ready to take it down at any time.”

From the Chambumo Gyeong, p. 274:

“My purpose for founding the Unification Church was not only to benefit our church. On this anniversary of the founding of the church, we have to broaden our scope. We need to make this day the day for guiding our nation to God’s Will, and we need to make this day the day we guide the entire world to build the kingdom of heaven on earth that God hopes to see. It is to fulfill this mission that the Unification Church was founded.”

Also this week in history, April 30 – May 6:

• Soviet officials visit the United States and hear CAUSA lectures (April 30-May 2, 1991)
• The Exposition of the Divine Principle is published (May 1, 1966)
• 22 Japanese couples receive the Holy Marriage Blessing (May 1, 1969)
• True Father introduces the Family Pledge (May 1, 1994)
• 2004 World Peace King Cup Fishing Tournament begins in Yeosu (May 2, 2004)
• Unificationists clean Manhattan and the Bronx (May 3, 1976)
• True Father declares a New Sabbath and “The Era after the Coming of Heaven” (May 5, 2004)
• New FFWPU Headquarters building is dedicated in Korea (May 5, 2005)
• A joint worship service for the kickoff of Vision 2020 is held (May 5, 2013)
• The Professors World Peace Academy is founded (May 6, 1973)
• The New York State Court of Appeals declares the Unification Church a bona fide religion (May 6, 1982)

APRIL 30-MAY 2, 1991

Soviet Officials Visit the United States, Hear CAUSA Lectures

The demise of Marxism as a viable ideology created a serious void for the USSR. True Parents’ meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on April 11, 1990, opened the way for the Unification Church to sponsor seminars for Soviet officials and eventually Divine Principle workshops for thousands of Soviet university students and professors. In December 1990 and February 1991, the church sponsored seminars for 80 deputies of the Supreme Soviet (federal, republic and city levels) in which they received lectures on Victory over Communism (VOC) theory as well as briefings on the underpinnings of U.S. democracy. Then, from April 30 to May 2, 1991, the church sponsored an unprecedented seminar and fact-finding tour in Washington, D.C., for approximately 200 high-ranking Soviet officials and political leaders who were introduced to True Father’s thought and achievements. Dr. Thomas Ward, who lectured, noted, “This was the only time during the final years of the Soviet Union that any person, government or private organization brought together representatives from all 15 Soviet republics.”
 

MAY 1, 1966

Wolli Kangron (Exposition of the Divine Principle) Is Published

Following his encounter with Jesus on April 17, 1935, True Father dedicated himself to solving the fundamental problems of God, humankind, nature and history. The fruit of his investigation is the Divine Principle. According to Won Pil Kim, True Father kept a notebook with notes about the Divine Principle, which he carried with him into North Korea in 1946. Unfortunately, it was lost during his incarceration in Heungnam Prison. Afterward, on arriving in Pusan, True Father began writing Wolli Wonbon (Original Text of the Divine Principle), which he finished on May 10, 1952. It circulated as a hand-written manuscript for several years until superseded by Wolli Haesul (Explanation of Divine Principle) in 1957. Wolli Haesul was prepared by Hyo Won Eu, based on Wolli Wonbonand guidance from True Father. In the early 1960s, True Father directed Rev. Eu to prepare a new text with a more systematic structure and additional content. It was published as Wolli Kangron (Exposition of the Divine Principle) on May 1, 1966. It has served as the authorized version of Divine Principle to the present. Wolli Kangron was translated into English in two official versions, Divine Principle (1973) and Exposition of the Divine Principle (1996). It is one of the “Eight Great Textbooks” that True Father designated as his “last words to humankind.”
 

MAY 1, 1969

Holy Blessing of 22 Japanese Couples

True Parents’ Blessing of 22 Japanese couples in holy matrimony on May 1, 1969, in Tokyo was the third of three Blessings that comprise what is known as the 43 Couples Blessing. The first was the Holy Blessing of 13 American couples on February 28, 1969, at Upshur House in Washington, D.C. The second was the Holy Blessing of eight European couples in Essen, Germany, on March 28, 1969. These were all conducted during True Parents’ Second World Tour and came on the foundation of the 430 Couple Holy Blessing conducted in Korea in 1968. They were the first Holy Blessings conducted outside Korea and signified the Unification Church’s expansion to the worldwide level.
 

MAY 1, 1994

True Father Introduces Family Pledge

On January 10, 1993, True Father announced “the transition today to the Completed Testament Era.” The new epoch was understood to involve a fundamental shift in the order of salvation. As one church leader explained, “Previously, religious organizations have always been centered upon the salvation of the individual, but we have now progressed to the salvation of the family.” The implications of this were momentous. Essentially, it signaled a radical new beginning for the church and rendered all previous religious expressions, including that of the Unification Church, obsolete. On HSA-UWC’s 40th anniversary, May 1, 1994, True Father introduced the “Family Pledge.” It displaced “My Pledge,” which had expressed Unification Church members’ standard of attendance since 1961.  According to Rev. Joong Hyun Pak, continental director of the church in North America at that time, My Pledge represented the individual’s pledge. Family Pledge signified the transition to the family era. True Father stated that reciting Family Pledge “means we have crossed over the barriers and are now on God’s side.” He noted that the fullest exemplification of this was that “all paragraphs of Family Pledge begin with the phrase ‘centered on true love.’”
 

MAY 2, 2004

2004 World Peace King Cup Fishing Tournament Begins in Yeosu

The opening ceremony of the 2004 World Peace King Cup Fishing Tournament was held at Heung-guk Gymnasium on May 2, 2004. The event, which was hosted by the World Sports Fishing Federation, a providential organization, attracted around 3,000 lovers of angling. The tournament took place in the sea off Yeosu. At the awards ceremony on May 5, True Father said, “When the winners from each country partake in the fishing tournament, win prizes and achieve a pastime satisfaction in which all are happy, a nation on earth can be formed in which all are equal.”
 

MAY 3, 1976

U.S. Members Clean Manhattan and the Bronx

True Father launched an “America the Beautiful” project on May 3, 1976, as part of the “God Bless America” campaign on the occasion of the United States’ 200th anniversary. More than 1,000 Unificationists from across the nation took up brooms and dustpans to clean the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. Dressed in white jumpsuits with the God Bless America Festival logo on the back, they cleaned in their witnessing area every morning from 7 to 8. The cleanup project was intended to raise awareness for the upcoming “God Bless America Festival” at Yankee Stadium on June 1 at which True Father would deliver an address on “God’s Hope for America.” The Unificationist folk-rock band Sunburst provided free lunch-hour concerts, and hundreds of additional Unificationists arrived for the final push, spearheading street rallies and massive ticket distribution efforts.
 

MAY 5, 2004

Declaration of a New Sabbath and “The Era after the Coming of Heaven”

On May 1, 2004, the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC), or Unification Church, observed the 50th anniversary of its founding. In connection with this observance, True Father made two bold announcements—first, that the Sabbath had been fulfilled and that he was proclaiming Ahn Shi Il, the Day of Attendance of Safe Settlement, to be observed by Unificationists every eighth day. The first Ahn Shi Il was conducted on May 5. On that day, True Father made the second announcement: that a great transition from “the era before the coming of heaven” to “the era after the coming of heaven” had taken place. The key implication of this providential announcement was that world peace, which had been impossible to achieve during “the era before the coming of heaven,” was now possible. This, in particular, was understood to be the reason why the United Nations, born prior to “the era after the coming of heaven,” had not been able to fulfill its mission. True Father’s proclamation of a new Sabbath and “the era after the coming of heaven” culminated trends in his thought and practice that he had introduced previously, including his declaration that the “providence of salvation” was “over,” that “blessed families” should pray in their own names, that humankind had entered an era “beyond the realm of the Fall,” that a time of “high noon” with “no shadows” had arrived, that the time of “indirect dominion” had passed and that “God is now directly teaching and instructing us.”
 

MAY 5, 2005

New FFWPU Headquarters Building Dedicated in Korea

The dedication ceremony for the new FFWPU Headquarters building was held on May 5, 2005, with the attendance of True Parents. The headquarters consisted of four floors under ground level and nine floors above ground level. Construction began in June 2003 and took a little over two years. Some 1,000 people gathered for the ceremony. True Father offered a simple prayer in the lobby before cutting the tape. True Parents then presided over the sprinkling of holy salt to sanctify the new building. True Father wrote calligraphy for the new building: “Mansei for the Kingship of Peace throughout Heaven and Earth” (unofficial translation) and then went up to the 8th floor to participate in the main ceremony.



 

MAY 5, 2013

Joint Worship Service for the Kickoff of Vision 2020

Prior to Foundation Day 2013, True Mother declared, “Foundation Day is not the end. Until we liberate all humanity and bring back all 6.5 billion people to Heaven, we have to offer our utmost effort.” In line with this commitment, True Mother announced the “2020 Vision,” which launched Unificationists on a new seven-year trajectory. True Mother’s stated intention was to “substantiate” Cheon Il Guk and, in particular, offer Korea “to Heaven” on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of True Father’s birthday in 2020. The “Joint Worship Service for Victory of Vision 2020” was held at the Cheongshim Peace World Center on May 5. Forty-three students from the Universal Peace Academy entered the stadium holding the flags of the 43 strategic and providential nations which would take the lead this effort.  True Mother asked that all families who had received the Holy Marriage Blessing and all young people born into the Unificationist faith carry on True Parents’ tradition of absolute faith in fulfilling their mission as tribal messiahs and expand the scope of our responsibilities beyond the tribe to the society, nation and world, so that all humankind can become citizens of Cheon Il Guk.

MAY 6, 1973

The Professors World Peace Academy Founded

The Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA) was founded by True Father during an assembly of 168 Japanese and Korean professors, to “contribute to the solutions of urgent problems facing our modern civilization and to help resolve the cultural divide between East and West.” The organization held discussions such as healing historical tensions, first only in Korea and Japan, then spreading around the world to more than a hundred countries. PWPA sponsored a providentially significant conference on “The Fall of the Soviet Empire” in 1985. PWPA-related scholars have written important works through Paragon House and publish the International Journal on World Peace four times annually. PWPA is a major supporter of the University of Bridgeport.
 

MAY 6, 1982

New York State Court of Appeals Declares the Unification Church a Bona Fide Religion

The Unification Church was embroiled in near-constant litigation from 1975 to 1985. Though this was costly and time consuming, several decisions, won on appeal, gained the Church gradual recognition as a bona fide religion with tax exemption privileges, public solicitation rights and access to missionary visas. In addition, the Church was able to extend constitutional protections to its adherents and successfully press for action against deprogrammers. By unanimously overturning lower court decisions which had refused to recognize the Unification Church’s religious purposes, the New York Court of Appeals in HSA-UWC v. Tax Commission of New York City [1772], decided on May 6, 1982, held as a matter of law that the Unification Church was a bona fide religion entitled to tax exemption privileges.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of April 30 – May 6.

Inroads to Interfaith

This week in history, April 23-29:

• Gerhard Peemoeller, “Bodyguard for Christ,” ascends (April 24, 2015)
• 144,000 interfaith clergy receive the Marriage Blessing (April 27, 2002)
• The Coronation for the Establishment of the Abel UN and a celebratory luncheon for True Parents’ golden wedding anniversary take place (April 29, 2010)

APRIL 24, 2015

Gerhard Peemoeller, “Bodyguard for Christ,” Ascends

During the 1970s, a towering figure was always in close proximity to True Parents and members of their family. He was Gerhard Peemoeller, or “Big Gerhard,” as he also was known. An impressive 6 feet 6 inches in stature, Gerhard joined the Unification movement in 1972 and came to the United States in 1973. From the moment he encountered Unificationists in his home country of Germany, Gerhard was infused with the desire to be a “bodyguard for Christ,” ignited by a vision he had while praying. On coming to the United States he was given the opportunity to join True Parents’ security team for speaking tours and later at East Garden. Eventually he became one of three traveling bodyguards for True Parents. In his book Bodyguard for Christ: One Disciple’s Experience Protecting the Messiah, Gerhard emphasized that the most important aspect of his job was internal unity with True Parents. He outlined the conditions he set for the safety and protection of the children and relatives of True Parents, including a daily breakfast fast, washing and waxing a car every day that True Parents weren’t at East Garden, and praying constantly while on duty. After 1980, he become a leader in the Ocean Church and pioneered work in Virginia. It took him seven years to start to like fishing, but he eventually started to feel like a real fisherman and gained the respect of other fishermen. Gerhard was blessed with Nobuko Komura in 1976 as part of the 74 couples’ Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony. He was survived by his wife and seven children.

APRIL 27, 2002

144,000 Clergy Interfaith Marriage Blessing

Based on the Interfaith Marriage Blessing of 60 clergy couples on May 27, 2001 (which included Archbishops Emmanuel Milingo and George A. Stallings, among others), True Father called for a 12,000 Couple Clergy Blessing at New York’s Madison Square Garden in September 2001. That was postponed due to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Instead, True Father announced a Marriage Blessing for 144,000 clergy couples around the world on April 27, 2002. The main venue was the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, for some 700 representative clergy couples. Thousands of other couples participated in all 50 U.S. states and 196 nations via satellite connection. Commendations for the Blessing came from four U.S. governors and 25 members of Congress, including several U.S. senators. United Press International, Associated Press, ABC National, CBS local, The Washington Times and many Spanish-language and African-American newspapers covered the event. Religious leaders from every faith tradition offered prayers. Thirty couples came from the Nation of Islam, directly sent by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Twenty-one Buddhist couples came from Korea. More than 21 Sikh leaders came from the Washington area. True Parents declared that the interreligious and international ceremony was a “total victory.” Pastor T.L. Barrett Jr. from Chicago, who helped organize the event, declared, “Father [Moon] is a marrying man! He wants everything to be married. He would like a desk and chair or even the two light bulbs to be married, if possible.”

APRIL 29, 2010

Coronation for the Establishment of the Abel UN and Luncheon Celebrating True Parents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary

On the foundation of “Legacy of Peace” ceremonies held at the UN headquarters (March 18) and in Washington, D.C. (April 1), New York (April 2), Las Vegas (April 3), Hawaii (April 9), and Korea (April 13), True Parents conducted the Coronation for the Establishment of the Abel UN and hosted a luncheon celebrating their golden wedding anniversary at the Cheongpyeong Heaven and Earth Training Center with some 1,000 guests from around the world on April 29, 2010. A congratulatory address was given by the Venerable Un San, former president of Taego Buddhism in Korea, who gave his deepest respect to True Parents who have “offered themselves for the actualization of a peaceful, ideal world.” The ceremony was prepared as a traditional Korean royal wedding. Afterward True Parents conducted the world-level Golden Wedding Anniversary for the Establishment of the Abel UN and Ascension Festival in Las Vegas on May 9.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of April 23–29.

Praying on Mount Myodu

This week in history, April 16-22:

• Three couples receive the Holy Marriage Blessing (April 16, 1960)
• True Father declares the end of the first 21-year course (April 16, 1980)
• True Father encounters Jesus on Easter morning (April 17, 1935)
• The Day of the Resurrection of Shimjeong is proclaimed (April 17, 1960)
• Clergy takes down crosses (April 18, 2003)
• True Mother completes her 12-city US tour (April 19, 2000)
• Young Hwi Kim joins the movement (April 20, 1955)
• Hirokazu Ota is released by Paraguayan kidnappers (April 21, 2007)
• Noticias del Mundo is established (April 22, 1980)

APRIL 16, 1960

Three Couples Holy Marriage Blessing

On April 16, 1960, the fifth day following True Parents’ Holy Wedding, True Parents blessed three couples in Holy Matrimony. They were Kim Won-pil and Chung Dal-ok; Eu Hyo-won and Sa Gil-ja; and Kim Young-hwi and Chung Dae-hwa. There were a number of providential conditions connected to these couples. True Father noted that they represented the families of Adam, Noah and Abraham. They also were chosen as the resurrected figures of Cain, Abel and Seth in Adam’s family. In addition, they were in the position of Jesus’ three main disciples and restored archangels. True Father stated that he required “three disciples” in the position of spiritual children “who will be loyal to him and follow him through persecution, even at the risk of their lives” as a condition for his Holy Wedding. True Father, thereby, engaged the three couples ahead of his wedding. One of the couples had been previously married, one had been previously engaged, and one was “matched” immediately before their engagement. In this way, they were intended to represent all marital situations. The three couples joined 33 additional couples who were blessed in marriage the following year as the Unification Church’s original 36 couples.

APRIL 16, 1980

True Father Declares the End of the First 21-Year Course

Unification theology teaches that the course of creation and restoration unfolds according to the three stages of formation, growth and perfection. True Father applied that principle in conducting his ministry. He initially applied it to his individual course upon embarking on his public ministry after World War II.  The 21-year course with which Unificationists were most familiar followed True Parents’ Holy Wedding in 1960. True Father described how True Parents walked a family-level course for seven years, followed by a national-level course in which the Unification tradition stabilized itself within Korea, and then a worldwide course during which True Parents planted Unificationism globally. True Father declared that 21-year course to be completed on Parents Day, April 16, 1980. He said that it was to be followed by another 21-year course centered on Unification blessed families. This course, he noted, would be centered first upon deterring the advance of communists and then liberating them. To do so, he said Unificationists must “be superior in God-centered character and in strength of knowledge, experience and organization.” The new 21-year course would be centered upon “Home Church,” which True Father described as the methodology to “liberate the entire world centered on the true love of God.”

APRIL 17, 1935

True Father’s Easter Revelation

Unification theology teaches that the course of creation and restoration unfolds according to the three stages of formation, growth and perfection. True Father applied that principle in conducting his ministry. He initially applied it to his individual course upon embarking on his public ministry after World War II.  The 21-year course with which Unificationists were most familiar followed True Parents’ Holy Wedding in 1960. True Father described how True Parents walked a family-level course for seven years, followed by a national-level course in which the Unification tradition stabilized itself within Korea, and then a worldwide course during which True Parents planted Unificationism globally. True Father declared that 21-year course to be completed on Parents Day, April 16, 1980. He said that it was to be followed by another 21-year course centered on Unification blessed families. This course, he noted, would be centered first upon deterring the advance of communists and then liberating them. To do so, he said Unificationists must “be superior in God-centered character and in strength of knowledge, experience and organization.” The new 21-year course would be centered upon “Home Church,” which True Father described as the methodology to “liberate the entire world centered on the true love of God.”

APRIL 17, 1935

True Father’s Easter Revelation

In his autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, True Father traces circumstances that led to his profound encounter with Jesus on Easter morning, 1935. In particular, he notes his exposure to suffering which included the suffering of Korea under Japanese colonial authorities and his family’s suffering, which included the loss of five younger siblings during his fifteenth year. From this time, True Father began to immerse himself in prayer, often at desolate locations. He recounts, “The night before Easter in the year I turned sixteen, I was on Mount Myodu praying all night and begging God in tears for answers.” Then, in the early morning, having spent the entire night in prayer, True Father stated that “Jesus appeared before me … in an instant, like a gust of wind, and said to me, ‘God is in great sorrow because of the pain of humankind. You must take on a special mission on earth having to do with Heaven’s work.’”

True Father said that Jesus’ manifestation “caused my body to shake violently, like quaking aspen leaves trembling in a strong breeze.” He said he was “simultaneously overcome with fear so great I thought I might die and gratitude so profound I felt I might explode.” Jesus, he recounted, “spoke clearly about the work I would have to do … saving humanity from its suffering and bringing joy to God.” True Father said he was “truly afraid.” He wanted “somehow to avoid this mission” and remembers, “I clung to the hem of his clothing and wept inconsolably.”

APRIL 17, 1960

The Day of the Resurrection of Shimjeong Proclaimed

Just after Parents’ Day was established in 1960, True Parents proclaimed the Resurrection of Shimjeong (Parental Heart) on April 17. It was the day on which all Unificationists who had accepted True Parents inherited the potential to be restored as sons and daughters of the True Parents on the shimjeong level. “If you believe in me,” True Father said that day, “spiritually you become my sons and daughters on the shimjeong level.”

APRIL 18, 2003

Clergy Take Down Crosses

True Father believed that “deep-rooted conflict between major religious traditions” constituted the background of “violent wars all over the world. It followed that religious leaders should take the initiative in restoring peace. This lay behind True Father’s proposal for an interreligious assembly or council at the United Nations. It also undergirded his thinking about the Middle East. True Father taught that Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders should resolve their differences as a condition for the cessation of violence. However, this necessitated that Christian clergy acknowledge that “the era of the cross” had passed and, in fact, remove their crosses, which had been a barrier between the first and second Israel.

The “Take Down the Cross” initiative crystallized in early 2003. In February, True Father asked Unification Church and American Clergy Leadership Conference leaders to educate Christian clergy in Unification theology. At the beginning of March, he called upon clergy to remove crosses from their churches. The goal was that on April 18, Good Friday, 120 ACLC clergy nationwide would have a public ceremony to take down the cross. That goal was met. As reported by Michael Jenkins, who at the time was the president of HSA-USA: “123 clergy took down their crosses over the Easter weekend … supported by another 135 clergy. … All told, 258 clergy directly affirmed the taking down of the cross, proclaiming an end to the era of bloodshed and sacrifice and the beginning of a new era of faith and resurrection.” Though controversial in some quarters, their action launched the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI) which brought 10,000 clergy and Ambassadors for Peace to the Holy Land over the following two years.

APRIL 19, 2000

True Mother Completes 12-City US Tour

Giving a public speech every day for 12 days in a row, True Mother crisscrossed the country, completing the 12-city United States leg of her 2000 World Speaking Tour from April 8 to 19. The tour had been undertaken following Phase One of the 400 Million Couple Holy Blessing and True Father’s 80th birthday. True Mother spoke on “The Path for America and Humanity in the Last Days” to capacity audiences throughout the country. She challenged the United States to fulfill its providential destiny in living for the sake of others.

For the tour finale in New York City, approximately 3,000 people squeezed into Avery Fisher Hall, a concert hall that is part of Manhattan’s famous Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. True Mother received awards and gifts from the Nation of Islam, the True Family Values Clergy Coalition, and the Family Federation. She then selected from a basket the number which would indicate the lucky recipients of 24-carat “Pure Love” rings. At the end of the program, True Mother presented the Living for the Sake of Others Award to persons and organizations who had demonstrated the spirit of living for the sake of others.

APRIL 20, 1955

Rev. Young Hwi Kim Joins the Movement

Young Hwi Kim and Dae Hwa Chung receive the Holy Marriage Blessing.

Rev. Young Hwi Kim (b. 1928), who with his wife were one of the original three couples engaged by True Parents prior to their own Holy Wedding, joined the Unification movment on  April 20, 1955. He had studied electrical engineering at Seoul National University and joined the first class of Korea’s Special Air Force Academy in 1953. He subsequently served the Unification movement in various leadership positions over the last sixty years.  Following Rev. Hyo Won Eu’s passing in 1970, he became the second president of the Korean Unification movement. He was the lecturer at the first Divine Principle workshop in the United States overseen by True Parents and author of The Divine Principle Study Guide, Part 1. He served as a regional leader representing True Parents in several European countries and as their envoy to the United Kingdom. In 2013, Rev. Kim represented True Mother in a five-city U.S. revival tour. He also served as director of the Cheon Seong Gyeong project in Korea.

APRIL 21, 2007

Hirokazu Ota Released by Paraguayan Kidnappers

Hirokazu Ota, a longtime Japanese Unification Church leader, Japanese national messiah to Paraguay, and president of the Unificationist-affiliated land management company in Paraguay, was kidnapped at gunpoint, along with his secretary, on April 1, 2007. Asian people there (Koreans, Japanese, Chinese) are thought to be rich and are frequently targeted by criminals. Mr. Ota, his secretary and two bystanders, one of whom was a police officer, were abducted while traveling by car. The kidnapping gang, which was thought to involve as many as 25 people, raised the initial ransom demand from $25,000 to $300,000. Negotiations were difficult, with Mr. Ota and his companions being relocated numerous times as the kidnappers attempted to stay ahead of Paraguayan authorities. In the end, through the efforts of the Paraguayan police, the Japanese Embassy, the Church and company officials, a reported $138,000 ransom was paid and Mr. Ota was released in Ciudad del Este, a city on the eastern border with Brazil. Mr. Ota recounted his harrowing experience in several news conferences and testimonies. The following year, the Brazilian kidnapping ringleader was shot to death by Paraguayan police in a gunfight.
 

APRIL 22, 1980

Noticias del Mundo Established

True Father founded the Spanish-language newspaper Noticias del Mundo on April 22, 1980, as an effort to begin a relationship with the Hispanic community in the United States and Latin America that would help turn the tide against communist infiltration of the Western Hemisphere. Earlier, True Father set up the anti-communist educational organization CAUSA and sent Dr. Bo Hi Pak to meet officials in Latin America. In his remarks at its inauguration, Dr. Pak, the paper’s founding president and publisher, expressed True Father’s desire for Spanish-speaking Americans to help shape the nation’s future and to correct misunderstandings and misrepresentations in the North American press. Leadership of Noticias Del Mundo later passed to Phillip V. Sanchez, the former U.S. ambassador to Honduras and Colombia.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of April 16–22.

Women’s Federation Founded 26 Years Ago Today

This week in history, April 9-15:

• Parents’ Day is established (April 10, 1960)
• The Interdenominational Conference for Clergy visits Korea for the first time (April 10, 1985)
• The Women’s Federation for World Peace is inaugurated (April 10, 1992)
• Muslim couples participate in the Marriage Blessing Ceremony (April 10, 1992)
• The Era of the Family Federation begins (April 10, 1997)
• True Parents are married at their Holy Wedding (April 11, 1960)
• True Parents meet Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev (April 11, 1990)
• 36 Unificationist-born young adult couples receive the Holy Marriage Blessing (April 12, 1986)
• True Father delivers the Proclamation of Liberation and Release (April 13, 2004)

APRIL 10, 1960

Parents’ Day Established

True Father at the 47th True Parents’ Day celebration.

Parents’ Day was the first Holy Day established in the Unification tradition. True Father established it on April 10, 1960 (March 15, according to the lunar calendar). Unificationists observe Parents’ Day—now designated as True Parents’ Day—on the first day of the third month of the Heavenly Calendar. The establishment of Parents’ Day followed True Parents’ engagement on March 27, 1960. It signified that God had finally established His first son and daughter as the True Parents of humankind. True Father later stated, “Parents’ Day is the first time since God created all things and humankind that there is one balanced man, one balanced woman, balanced in love, to whom God can descend and with whom He can truly be.” Following Parents’ Day, True Father established Children’s Day (1960), Day of All Things (1963) and God’s Day (1968) as Holy Days. They were set up to celebrate the emergence of the True Family, or True Parents’ family, and the foundation upon which a new world can take shape and a new history begin.  
 

APRIL 10, 1985

First Interdenominational Conference for Clergy Visit to Korea

ICC participants pray at the Rock of Tears in Pusan.

Prior to his release from the Danbury Federal Correctional Institute, True Father asked American members to focus on educating 70,000 ministers, and on that foundation to send 7,000 ministers to Korea. This request led to the creation of the CAUSA Ministerial Alliance, the 300,000-videotape project, and, beginning in April 1985, the Interdenominational Conference for Clergy (ICC) seminars.  Under the theme “Rev. Moon and Korea in the Providence of God,” 64 ministers from 21 denominations attended the first “advanced seminar on Unificationism” from April 10 to 19, 1985. From 1985 to 1988, the U.S. Unification Church sponsored 38 ICC seminars for 7,069 American clergy and religious leaders who traveled to Korea and usually Japan. The “meaning of the 7,000” was connected to the time of Elijah, when throughout Israel God prepared 7,000 people who had never bowed down to Baal (I Kings 19:18). The visits preceded significant breakthroughs in Korean society, including the 1988 Seoul Olympics and eventually True Parents’ meeting with North Korean President Kim Il Sung in 1991.

APRIL 10, 1992

Women’s Federation for World Peace Inaugurated

The Women’s Federation for World Peace, chaired by True Mother, sponsored “Sisterhood Ceremonies” during the 1990s.

On April 10, 1992, True Mother delivered the keynote address before a filled Seoul Olympic Stadium at the inauguration of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP). In her speech, True Mother testified to “the reappearance of the True Parents … the conclusion and final fruit of human history.” She stated that “women have the mission to give proper guidance to men who lead lives of moral decadence and disorder” and noted, “the Women’s Federation for World Peace must someday develop into a federation of families for world peace.” Established on the foundation of the Women’s Federation for Peace in Asia, WFWP has become a women’s organization of international scope with members in 143 countries. In 1994, more than 200,000 Korean and Japanese women “came together to create sisterly ties” on thirty-eight occasions under the auspices of WFWP. In 1995, WFWP sponsored “sisterhood ceremonies” between some 8,000 Japanese and American women, culminating in dramatic “bridge crossings” which were moving to many participants, including former first lady Barbara Bush. She and her husband, former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, subsequently accompanied True Mother and spoke in support of WFWP on a six-city speaking tour of Japan. In 1997, WFWP received general consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This was a signal achievement.

APRIL 10, 1992

Muslim Couples Participate in the Holy Blessing

On April 10, 1992, forty-two Muslim couples took part in the 1,265 Previously Married Couples’ Holy Blessing in Seoul, South Korea. Their Blessing was the culmination of an Interreligious Leadership Seminar. True Father termed the participation of Muslims in the wedding “a miracle.” In fact, it was extremely significant, as it broke the religious barrier and opened the door for True Father to extend the Blessing to people of a faith other than Unificationism. This was a key stepping-stone toward expanding the providence of the Blessing and instilling interreligious harmony as one of the Unification Church’s key pillars. In the years since, the Holy Marriage Blessing has been given to thousands of people of all races, nationalities, and religions.

APRIL 10, 1997

The Era of the Family Federation Begins

On April 8, 1997, True Father proclaimed: “We have entered the era not just for the unity of Christianity but for the unity of the world. Therefore, as of April 10, we should put aside the name ‘Unification Church’ and instead work under the name of the ‘Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.’” He further stated: “With the completion of the mission of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, the mission of religion has been brought to a conclusion. For the first time in human history, we have entered a new era that does not require salvation through religion. The objective of the Family Federation lies in transforming families into ideal families, thereby restoring and perfecting God’s ideal of creation and establishing the ideal heavenly world.” True Father noted that until now, religion has focused on the individual. “All religions without exception,” he said, “preached salvation for the individual and never once mentioned salvation for the family, tribe or nation.” The Unification tradition, on the other hand, “is preaching the salvation of the nation and the world based on the family.”

APRIL 11, 1960

True Parents’ Holy Wedding

April 11, 1960 (March 16 by the lunar calendar) marked the historic day in the Unification tradition of “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” True Parents joined in holy matrimony in the Chungpa-dong headquarters church. Wedding decorations were put up in the main hall, the walls and floor were covered with white cloth, and a platform was erected. When preparations were completed, True Father consecrated the hall with salt. This began the church tradition of consecrating belongings with Holy Salt.

As described by Rev. Young-hwi Kim, True Mother, dressed in a white hanbok (the traditional Korean dress) with a long wedding veil over her head and ornaments befitting a bride, came down the stairs from the second floor, arm in arm with True Father. A chorus of “Song of the Banquet” was their wedding march. The ceremony was carried out twice, first in the Western style with a wedding veil, and then in the Korean traditional style with a blue silk hanbok, square belt and black hat for the groom and a bridal headpiece and Korean royal dress for the bride. The offering table for the Holy Wedding was set up according to revelations received from Heaven, with some forty kinds of food in cylindrical columns. After the meal, celebrations were held in the same hall, joyously highlighted by True Parents’ dance. True Father said that because of this ceremony, the Principle and the existence of the Unification Church would become known throughout the entire world, and the Will of God would be accomplished.
 

APRIL 11, 1990

True Parents Meet Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev

Organizers of the 11th World Media Conference, which took place in Moscow in April 1990, learned by late afternoon on the day of True Father’s address to the conference, that President Gorbachev had given his approval for a meeting with True Father. Larry Moffitt, who helped organize the media gathering, noted that the “maximum victory” for the Moscow event “was defined early on as a cordial meeting between True Father and Gorbachev.” In fact, expectations had risen to the point that a failure to secure such an invitation would have been interpreted as a providential setback. Thus, organizers breathed a collective sigh of relief when True Parents, along with twenty-eight former presidents or prime ministers and several assistants, entered the Kremlin at 4:30 p.m. on April 11, 1990, and were seated in a conference room.

There was an initial meeting of President Gorbachev with all present, which was followed by a private meeting between the president, True Parents, one ambassador and a couple of senior staff. During the 90-minute open meeting, President Gorbachev said that the media conference was “very important” and expressed satisfaction that it had been “very successful so far.” True Father thanked him for the opportunity to come to Moscow, explained that all former heads of state at the table were supporting him, and urged him to consider the World Media Conference his “asset.”

Dr. Bo Hi Pak, who attended the half-hour private meeting in President Gorbachev’s personal office, reported that the president was “completely free, embracing and talkative.” The Segye Ilbo newspaper reported that President Gorbachev “asked Rev. Moon to help either directly or indirectly in the development of the Soviet Union by using the multinational economic foundations and worldwide organizations of the Unification movement.”
 

APRIL 12, 1986

36 Couple Unificationist-born Young Adult Holy Marriage Blessing

A new era began for the Unification Church on April 12, 1986, at the Little Angels Performing Arts Center in Seoul when True Parents gave the Holy Marriage Blessing to 36 Unificationist-born couples. This was the first Holy Marriage Blessing of Unificationist-born young adults apart from the Marriage Blessings of four of True Parents’ own children. On April 8, True Father called candidates in Korea to assemble and began the matching engagement, which continued into the following day. Unificationist-born candidates outside Korea were matched by photograph. Those participating were the sons and daughters of Unificationists who had participated in the 36-, 72-, and 124-Couple Blessings. Through the marriage of their children these early Unificationists became relatives.

In his message to the newly engaged couples, “The New Historical Vanguard,” True Father described the occasion as “an amazing providential event.” He called upon the young couples to “renew the true tradition of the Unification family” by being “standard-bearers … for the sake of all the people of the world.” He also asked them to “learn the historical lesson” from the Israelites who perished after returning to Canaan “by aiming at worldly goals requiring knowledge, money and power.” Finally, he called upon them to be “victorious over the entire world” by going “through suffering that no one else in the world can handle.” He advised them to “find the abandoned path that the people of this world would consider worthless. That is the path God is asking you to walk.”

APRIL 13, 2004

Proclamation of Liberation and Release

True Father delivered a Proclamation of Liberation and Release on April 13, 2004. He noted that three days earlier, on April 10, he had declared the “release of the angelic world,” the “release of Cain and Abel,” and the “release of the Parents of Cheon ju, Cheon ji, Cheon ji-in” [Parents of the Cosmos, of Heaven and Earth, and of Heaven, Earth and Humankind]. He said he was completing spiritual conditions on many levels that are needed for God to exercise “His authority of all-immanence, all-authority, all-power and all-transcendence.” Since the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God (January 13, 2001), True Father had proclaimed various realms of liberation. In the Proclamation of Liberation and Release, True Father distinguished between Hae Bang(liberation) and Seok Bang (total and complete release and freedom). True Father added Seok Bang to the Family Pledge on August 20, 2004, meaning that not only sin but any record of sin would be eliminated.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of April 9-15.

Spring Ushers in New Hope

This week in history, April 2-8:

• ACLC Al-Aqsa Mosque pilgrims are safe after a siege (April 2, 2004)
• True Mother is on her two-week American speaking tour (April 1-16, 1998)
• True Father departs Korea to study in Japan (April 1, 1941)
• Day of Hope rallies begin in Korea (April 1, 1975)
• Today’s World begins publication (April 1, 1980)
• ACLC Al-Aqsa Mosque pilgrims are safe after a siege (April 2, 2004)
• New Hope Farm Declaration (April 3, 1995)
• The Building True Families for World Peace Rally (April 3, 1997)
• Rally to declare the beginning of a new civilization of peace (April 3, 2007)
• The Ceremony for the Total Liberation of Six Thousand Years of Providential History (April 4, 2002)
• True Father meets South Vietnam President (April 5, 1973)
• Holy Blessings are held at the World Mission Center (April 7, 1989)
• True Parents proclaim the Era of the FFWPU (April 8, 1997)
• Lady Margaret Thatcher ascends (April 8, 2013)

APRIL 2, 2004

ACLC Al-Aqsa Mosque Pilgrims Safe after Siege

Begun in 2003, in the heat of the Palestinian Second Intifada, the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI), a project of the Universal Peace Federation, organized several dozen “peace pilgrimages” to Israel, the occupied territories, and, on occasion, to Jordan over the course of the next decade. In its first two years, more than 10,000 religious leaders, civic officials, NGO leaders, professionals, and Unificationists from throughout the world participated in the pilgrimages. American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) participants were prominent in the earliest of these, and a number of them undertook high-risk trips into Gaza. During the fifth pilgrimage, four MEPI pilgrims went to Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Jerusalem Temple Mount to join Friday prayers and make arrangements for the larger pilgrimage contingent to visit when hundreds of Israeli soldiers stormed the compound. True Father was notified of the situation while in a boat on the Hudson River, where it was his practice to pray for the pilgrimages. With the U.S. State Department, and even the U.S. Marines, at the ready, due to the presence of U.S. citizens inside, the situation was diffused only when Al-Aqsa negotiated the safe exit of the worshipers. Prior to their exit, Imam Bundakji, a member of the MEPI delegation, called from the mosque to say that he might not make it out alive but wanted to tell MEPI’s Jewish delegation that his love for them “remained unchanged.”

APRIL 1-16, 1998

True Mother Goes on American Speaking Tour

True Mother embarked on a 16-city speaking tour from April 1-16, 1998 under the banner: “Blessed Marriage and Eternal Life”. Read the full story and watch historical footage here.

APRIL 1, 1941

True Father Departs Korea to Study in Japan

From the 1943 graduation album of the Waseda Technical High School, Tokyo. True Father stands in the back, center.

After graduating from the electrical engineering department of the Kyongsong Institute of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, True Father traveled to Japan to continue his studies. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, and this was the first time True Father left his native land. In his autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, True Father noted that he went “because I felt that I had to have exact knowledge about Japan.” Nevertheless, his leave-taking was painful. On the train from Seoul to Pusan, he “couldn’t stop the tears from flowing,” covered himself with his coat and “cried out loud.” It grieved him, he said, “to think that I was leaving my country behind as it suffered under the yoke of colonial rule.” He promised that he would return, “carrying with me the liberation of my homeland.” True Father boarded the ferry from Pusan to Shimonoseki, Japan, at 2:00 a.m. on April 1, 1941. On arriving in Tokyo, he entered Waseda Koutou Kougakko, a technical engineering school affiliated with Waseda University. He stated that he chose electrical engineering “because I felt I could not establish a new religious philosophy without knowing modern engineering.”

APRIL 1, 1975

Day of Hope Rallies Begin in Korea

True Father long considered the United States to be the gateway to the world. In early 1975, the church launched activities worldwide based upon its successes in America, particularly True Father’s Madison Square Garden rally in September 1974. The initial step was the creation of a global “Day of Hope” team. On January 14, the first global team, which included some 340 American and European members, boarded a chartered jumbo jet in Los Angeles for Tokyo. There they joined forces with an even larger contingent of Japanese members to evangelize and hold Day of Hope rallies in Japan. After spending nearly 80 days in Japan, the global team of more than 500 members traveled by ferry to Pusan, South Korea, on March 27. There, from April 1 until May 17, they supported massively attended Day of Hope festivals in Pusan, Taegu, Seoul, Inchon, Jeonju, Kwangju, Taejon, Cheongju and Chuncheon. These culminated in the “World Rally for Korean Freedom,” which was held at Yoido Island Plaza in Seoul before an estimated 600,000 to 1.2 million people on June 7.

APRIL 1, 1980

Today’s World Begins Publication

The very first issue of Today’s World.

Today’s World served as the Unification Church’s leading international missionary newsmagazine for thirty-two years, from April 1, 1980 through 2012. It included sermons of True Father and church leaders; extensive coverage, including glossy photographs, of the True Family and their activities; historical testimonies; and reports from missionary outposts in Africa, South America, the Middle East, Oceania and southern Asia. It provided an indispensable account of international Unificationists, indexed by year, during its years of publication. In its earlier years, Today’s World was published out of New York. During the 1990s, it and the movement’s World Mission Department relocated to Korea. After 2012, Today’s World was superseded by Internet and e-publications, notably iPeaceTV and True Peace Magazine, which provide international coverage.


 

APRIL 2, 2004

ACLC Al-Aqsa Mosque Pilgrims Safe after Siege

Begun in 2003, in the heat of the Palestinian Second Intifada, the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI), a project of the Universal Peace Federation, organized several dozen “peace pilgrimages” to Israel, the occupied territories, and, on occasion, to Jordan over the course of the next decade. In its first two years, more than 10,000 religious leaders, civic officials, NGO leaders, professionals, and Unificationists from throughout the world participated in the pilgrimages. American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) participants were prominent in the earliest of these, and a number of them undertook high-risk trips into Gaza. During the fifth pilgrimage, four MEPI pilgrims went to Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Jerusalem Temple Mount to join Friday prayers and make arrangements for the larger pilgrimage contingent to visit when hundreds of Israeli soldiers stormed the compound. True Father was notified of the situation while in a boat on the Hudson River, where it was his practice to pray for the pilgrimages. With the U.S. State Department, and even the U.S. Marines, at the ready, due to the presence of U.S. citizens inside, the situation was diffused only when Al-Aqsa negotiated the safe exit of the worshipers. Prior to their exit, Imam Bundakji, a member of the MEPI delegation, called from the mosque to say that he might not make it out alive but wanted to tell MEPI’s Jewish delegation that his love for them “remained unchanged.”

APRIL 3, 1995

New Hope Farm Declaration

True Parents offered a number of declarations in conjunction with their providential work in South America in the 1990s. One of the most important was the New Hope Farm Declaration delivered at 5:00 a.m. on April 3, 1995, in front of representative leaders of 160 nations gathered at the New Hope Farm in Brazil. It was in this declaration that True Parents declared the principle of “absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience,” which in 1998 was added as Pledge No. 8 to the Family Pledge. True Parents declared that New Hope Farm Jardim was a training site for practicing this principle; in loving the earth, water and nature; and in showing the world “a community of love transcending skin color, culture and nation.”

APRIL 3, 1997

The Building True Families for World Peace Rally in Korea

The Building True Families for World Peace Rally in Korea concluded on April 3, 1997, in Seongnam, the twenty-second city where the rally took place. It began on March 13 with the rally in South Gyeongsang Province. In each city, True Father gave words of encouragement through the speech “View of the Principle of the Providential History of Salvation,” while True Mother gave the keynote speech titled “In Search of the Origin of the Universe.” True Father emphasized, “The Returning Lord will come in the flesh and form new relationships based on God’s lineage; he will do so through the international mass Blessing Ceremonies.” (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

APRIL 3, 2007

Rally to Declare the Beginning of a New Universal Civilization of Peace

True Father declared a “Great Jubilee Year” in 2007. He said the reason for the declaration was the rise of the Pacific Rim Era. On April 3, True Father began a tour in Korea for the purpose of declaring the beginning of a new universal civilization of peace. He spoke in 25 locations of Korea. The first of the rallies took place on April 3 in the Changwon Stadium in South Gyeongsang Province. More than 9,000 Ambassadors for Peace from the province gathered that day along with guests, relatives and friends of the local members. The program began with entertainment, then a reading from the messages from the spirit world. A Holy Wine ceremony and Holy Burning ceremony were held for all the participants. True Father delivered the speech that he gave on March 17 in Kona, Hawaii, when he declared the dawn of the Pacific Rim Era to representatives from 120 nations. It was entitled “A Providential View of the Pacific Rim Era in Light of God’s Will: The United States and the Future Direction of the United Nations and the World.”

APRIL 4, 2002

Ceremony for the Total Liberation of 6,000 Years of Providential History

On April 4, 2002, the Ceremony for the Total Liberation of Six Thousand Years of Providential History took place at East Garden, New York. This was a special ceremony that liberated the evil spirits that had blocked central figures within the providence of restoration from completing their responsibilities and one through which the eight levels of liberation were attained. On 2.22 on the lunar calendar, at 0:22 minutes 22 seconds, in connection with the Cheongpyeong Heaven and Earth Training Center, True Parents carried out liberation in a prayer. In the prayer True Father said, “Now that we have welcomed an era in which we can newly pioneer and organize, we desire to dedicate this sacred liberation ceremony of all indemnity.” (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

APRIL 5, 1973

True Father Meets South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu

On April 5, 1973, True Father met with the visiting president of South Vietnam, Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. According to Freedom Leadership Foundation (FLF) Special Assistant Mike Leone, “The meetings were very, very successful.” In the late 1960s and early 1970s, one of True Father’s main goals was “to prepare for the fight against communism.” Since 1969, the FLF had spearheaded the Victory over Communism (VOC) efforts in the United States for the Unification movement. Through the organization, True Father met numerous U.S. senators and congressmen in the early months of 1973, as well as President Thiệu. The meetings were an important step in developing the campaign to fight communism, something that would become one of the defining characteristics and focal points of the movement in the years to come.

APRIL 7, 1989

Holy Weddings at the World Mission Center

Three special Holy Blessings were held in New York City in the Grand Ballroom of the World Mission Center on April 7, 1989. These Blessings were significant because there were three categories of Blessing candidates: matched couples, previously married couples, and individuals. The 42 Couples Blessing consisted of matched couples, connected to the 1,275 Couples Blessing in Korea. The 138 Couples Blessing and 57 Members Single Blessing comprised, respectively, previously married couples and individual members over 60 years old. There were 37 nations represented, and the oldest Single Blessing candidate was an 87-year-old sister from France.

APRIL 8, 1997

Proclamation of the Era of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification

True Parents proclaimed the Era of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification at a rally at the Central Training Center in Guri, Korea, on April 8, 1997. Approximately 1,000 national messiahs and leaders from Korea and Japan were in attendance as True Father announced that the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) would officially change its name to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU). (Materials provided by the History Compilation Committee)

APRIL 8, 2013

The Passing of Lady Margaret Thatcher

Former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was a friend of the Unification movement. In 2007, on the 25th anniversary of The Washington Times, she sent a warm video tribute. The following year she accepted the Universal Peace Federation’s Leadership and Good Governance Award, and in 2010, on the occasion of True Father’s 90th birthday, she sent a hand-written greeting expressing her hope that it would be a “splendid occasion.” Her appreciation stemmed from a common interest in combating global communism and promoting the values of “family, faith, and freedom.” She likely was unaware of True Parents’ pronouncements regarding an emerging era of women. Nonetheless, her career as a national and world leader provided a model that resonated with Unification values.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of March 29–April 4.

Contributed by Dr. Michael Mickler, professor of church history at Unification Theological Seminary.

Season of Forgiveness and New Life

This week in history, March 26 to April 1:

• True Parents meet with Mikhail Gorbachev (March 26, 1994)
• True Mother prepares a prayer for youth (March 26, 2013)
• New Ecumenical Research Association (New ERA) is inaugurated (March 27, 1980)
• True Father proclaims the victory of True Parents and the Establishment of Kingship (March 27, 1990)
• A 43-couple Holy Marriage Blessing is held in Essen, Germany (March 28, 1969)
• True Father makes declarations for the South American providence (March 31-April 3, 1995)
• True Father departs Korea to study in Japan (April 1, 1941)
• Day of Hope rallies begin in Korea (April 1, 1975)
• Today’s World begins publication (April 1, 1980)
• True Mother begins a North American Hoon Dok Hwe speaking tour (April 1, 1998)
• Dong Ban Gyeok Pa Providence begins in America (April 1, 2004)

MARCH 26, 1994

Luncheon Meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev

On March 26, 1994, True Parents hosted Mikhail Gorbachev, a former president of the Soviet Union, at the Hannam-dong training center in Seoul, where they had a meeting. Mr. Gorbachev was in South Korea to attend the Federation for World Peace rally. True Parents presented Mr. Gorbachev with a portrait and a necktie pin made of Korean jade. During their meeting, Mr. Gorbachev asked True Parents to pay close attention to Russia in the future. On the following day, during the second Federation for World Peace rally in Seoul, True Father gave a speech, “The Fundamental Principle of True Peace,” in which he emphasized, “As we enter the age of internationalization and globalization in the twenty-first century, we are confronted with the urgent task of overcoming a large number of difficult obstacles to world peace.” (Materials provided by the FFWPU History Compilation Committee)

MARCH 26, 2013

Prayer for Youth from True Mother

True Mother prepared a prayer for Unificationist youth based on her grandchildren’s education. In her words, “Since Father and I have lived like a war period, I couldn’t have created an environment for my children. But now I am doing the ‘creation of environment’ for my grandchildren. A few days ago, I announced and gave to my grandchildren and all blessed children in the world the ‘Prayer of the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind.’” She said she would like Unificationist youth to pray the following in the morning and evening:

“Heavenly Parent, I thank you and I love you. I, [one’s name], will become a devoted son (daughter) who will inherit the tradition of true love established by the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind, and perfect the duty of a devoted son (or daughter), patriot, and divine son (or daughter). I report this in my name [one’s name], a second generation member of a blessed family, Aju!”

Children and youth who joined recently should end the prayer saying “I report this in my name [one’s name], Aju!”

MARCH 27, 1980

New Ecumenical Research Association (New ERA) Inaugurated

Rev. Moon meets with founding members of New ERA at East Garden, New York.

In February 1977, Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) began hosting Theologians’ Conferences for scholars of religion interested in learning about the Unification movement. These dialogues and others fed into longer conferences on Unification Theology. The conference program caught the interest of True Father, who committed resources to its development. This led to the founding of the New Ecumenical Research Association (New ERA) and the creation of a twenty-one-member board of consultants who planned conferences, publications and other events “to bring people together ecumenically worldwide.” Hundreds of scholars participated in summer introductory seminars and winter advanced seminars. UTS published some thirty conference books, and New ERA gave birth to a wide range of ecumenical and interreligious organizations including annual “God Conferences,” the Youth Seminar on World Religions (YSWR), the International Religious Foundation, and the Assembly of World Religions.

MARCH 27, 1990

Proclamation of True Parents and the Establishment of Kingship

On the occasion of True Parents’ Day 1990, True Father declared he had “restored the right of parents” and was “sending out tribal messiahs to put everything in order, just as God sent the returning Lord and just as He sent Jesus.” The next step, “restoration of the right of kingship,” he said, “remains.” In True Father’s words:

“Originally, when Adam reached perfection, the Heavenly Father would be perfected, and when Eve reached perfection, the Heavenly Mother would be perfected. Hence, if they become the lord and lady of the family, the kingship of the family-level heavenly kingdom would have arisen. Thus, Adam and Eve were to become king and queen on the level of the individual, family, tribe, people, nation, and world. Since we have reached the time when we can go beyond the national level, we can go beyond the kingship of the satanic world and establish the kingship of the heavenly world.”

MARCH 28, 1969

43 Couple Holy Marriage Blessing in Essen, Germany

During True Father’s Second World Tour in 1969, True Parents blessed 43 couples in the United States, Germany and Japan, the first Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony conducted outside Korea. The 43 Couple Marriage Blessing was conducted on the foundation of the 430 Couple Marriage Blessing held by True Parents in Korea the previous year and signified expansion to the worldwide level. The Blessing in Germany, the second phase of the Blessing, joined couples from England and America, Holland and America, Holland and Germany, England and Italy, Germany and Austria in international marriages. National leaders from Korea, Japan, America, England, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Germany were either blessed or present at the ceremony. The 43 Couple Blessing was foundational for the 777 Couple Marriage Blessing in 1970 and the globalization of True Parent’s ministry.

MARCH 31-APRIL 3, 1995

South American Declarations

True Father had been actively pursuing opportunities in South America since 1992 and made the decision to make South America a focal point of his work in 1995. That year, he undertook an ambitious speaking tour of twenty-three Latin American nations, which included audiences with eight heads of state. In these speeches and meetings, he emphasized the region’s “stunning and abundant potential.” He stated, “Latin America is a rich, peaceful, natural paradise of grandiose mountains and virgin lands. The mountains, rivers and jungles hearken back to the original state of creation, the Garden of Eden.” True Father pushed the heads of state to donate contiguous lands for development “as a model for an ideal, international and interracial nation and world.” When that was not forthcoming, Unificationists  began purchasing vast tracts of land in the South American interior and established New Hope Farm outside the town of Jardim (pop. 21,000) in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul as the centerpiece of their efforts.

True Father made two declarations to launch this initiative. The Sao Paulo Declaration, delivered on the occasion of True Parents’ Day, March 31, 1995, called on Unification Church members worldwide to inherit True Parents’ tradition of “loving the earth, loving all things, loving all [hu]mankind and loving God, single-mindedly for the realization of God’s will.” The New Hope Farm Declaration, delivered on April 3, 1995, declared that “people of the world will come together as brothers and sisters here and practice the building of God’s nation.” True Father delivered additional declarations as the South American providence developed during the late 1990s.

APRIL 1, 1941

True Father Departs Korea to Study in Japan

From the 1943 graduation album of the Waseda Technical High School, Tokyo. True Father stands in the back, center.

After graduating from the electrical engineering department of the Kyongsong Institute of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, True Father traveled to Japan to continue his studies. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, and this was the first time True Father left his native land. In his autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, True Father noted that he went “because I felt that I had to have exact knowledge about Japan.” Nevertheless, his leave-taking was painful. On the train from Seoul to Pusan, he “couldn’t stop the tears from flowing,” covered himself with his coat and “cried out loud.” It grieved him, he said, “to think that I was leaving my country behind as it suffered under the yoke of colonial rule.” He promised that he would return, “carrying with me the liberation of my homeland.” True Father boarded the ferry from Pusan to Shimonoseki, Japan, at 2:00 a.m. on April 1, 1941. On arriving in Tokyo, he entered Waseda Koutou Kougakko, a technical engineering school affiliated with Waseda University. He stated that he chose electrical engineering “because I felt I could not establish a new religious philosophy without knowing modern engineering.”

APRIL 1, 1975

Day of Hope Rallies Begin in Korea

True Father long considered the United States to be the gateway to the world. In early 1975, the church launched activities worldwide based upon its successes in America, particularly True Father’s Madison Square Garden rally in September 1974. The initial step was the creation of a global “Day of Hope” team. On January 14, the first global team, which included some 340 American and European members, boarded a chartered jumbo jet in Los Angeles for Tokyo. There they joined forces with an even larger contingent of Japanese members to evangelize and hold Day of Hope rallies in Japan. After spending nearly 80 days in Japan, the global team of more than 500 members traveled by ferry to Pusan, South Korea, on March 27. There, from April 1 until May 17, they supported massively attended Day of Hope festivals in Pusan, Taegu, Seoul, Inchon, Jeonju, Kwangju, Taejon, Cheongju and Chuncheon. These culminated in the “World Rally for Korean Freedom,” which was held at Yoido Island Plaza in Seoul before an estimated 600,000 to 1.2 million people on June 7.

APRIL 1, 1980

Today’s World Begins Publication

Today’s World served as the Unification Church’s leading international missionary newsmagazine for thirty-two years, from April 1, 1980 through 2012. It included sermons of True Father and church leaders; extensive coverage, including glossy photographs, of the True Family and their activities; historical testimonies; and reports from missionary outposts in Africa, South America, the Middle East, Oceania and southern Asia. It provided an indispensable account of international Unificationists, indexed by year, during its years of publication. In its earlier years, Today’s World was published out of New York. During the 1990s, it and the movement’s World Mission Department relocated to Korea. After 2012, Today’s World was superseded by Internet and e-publications, notably iPeaceTV and True Peace Magazine, which provide international coverage.

APRIL 1, 1998

True Mother’s North American Hoon Dok Hwe Speaking Tour Begins

True Mother began a 16-city speaking tour of North America, beginning April 1, 1998, in Washington, D.C. The official title of her speaking tour was “Blessed Marriage and Eternal Life.” True Parents conducted a Hoon Dok Hwe tour to seventeen cities in Korea from late January until mid-February. True Mother continued the tour in twelve cities in Japan. Tour participants received a book of excerpts from True Father’s words entitled True Parents. True Parents’ speaking tour was an important condition in preparation for the June 13, 1998, Madison Square Garden Blessing linked to 120 million couples worldwide.

 

APRIL 1, 2004

Dong Ban Gyeok Pa Providence in America Begins

Dong Ban Gyeok Pa was a term employed by True Father to mean breaking through at district (Dong) and neighborhood (Ban) levels. It carried the connotation of “breaking down walls” and eliminating evils as well as gaining support. In Korea, the emphasis was on Hoon Dok family churches and Hoon Dok grass-roots leaders—that is, local churches and leaders focused on True Parents’ word. On April 1, 2004, FFWPU-USA President Michael Jenkins announced the launch of Dong Ban Gyeok Pa in the United States. The movement immediately convened a National Level Leadership Summit in Ocean City, Maryland, which was followed by regional “bloc” meetings. These were described as times of “honest sharing”—not “look-good reports” but opportunities to empower tribal messiahs. Although top-down providential mobilizations continued, the decentralization model became increasingly prominent in local Unificationist life.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of March 26 to April 1.

Steps Toward Springtime

This week in history, March 19-25:

• Satan surrenders to True Parents (March 21, 1999)
• Bo Hi Pak begins his testimony before the Fraser Committee (March 22, 1978)
• Dr. Sang Hun Lee ascends (March 22, 1997)
• The Cheongshim World Peace Center is dedicated (March 22, 2012)
• The Martial Arts Federation for World Peace is founded (March 23-27, 1997)
• The Crown of Peace Ceremony is held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building (March 23, 2004)
• The Universal Ballet Academy is dedicated (March 24, 1989)
• The first Holy Marriage Blessing is held at the Cheongshim World Peace Center (March 24, 2012)
• Dr. Martin Porter ascends (March 24, 2013)
• Aewon Bank is established (March 25, 1994)

MARCH 21, 1999

Satan’s Surrender to True Parents

In Unification tradition, March 21, 1999, is remembered as the day on which Satan surrendered to True Parents. True Father later stated, “In March 1999 Satan surrendered. Because of True Parents Satan could surrender. God could not make Satan surrender. That would violate the Principle. Man gave Satan his power, and only man can make Satan surrender.” On March 21, 1999, Young Soon Kim, who channeled Dr. Sang Hun Lee’s messages from the spirit world, published three letters of apology from Lucifer to God, True Parents and humankind. These were subsequently included in a volume, Lucifer, A Criminal against Humanity. True Parents are understood to have achieved this in the wilds of the Pantanal region of South America. This was an important step toward the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God and declaration of Cheon Il Guk.

MARCH 22, 1978

Bo Hi Pak Begins Testimony before the Fraser Committee

In 1976, the U.S. House Subcommittee on International Organizations, chaired by Rep. Donald Fraser (D-Minnesota) began an investigation into Korean-American Relations and, in particular, the activities of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) in the United States. In 1977, their investigation intensified in the wake of Korean influence-buying on Capitol Hill, referred to as Koreagate. The Subcommittee was determined to establish a link between the KCIA and the church, the Subcommittee leaked several confidential, unevaluated intelligence documents which led to press reports that the church “was founded by the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency … as a political tool in 1961.” However, this allegation was patently false as the Subcommittee’s final report indicated.

The Subcommittee subpoenaed Col. Bo Hi Pak for testimony on several occasions, but may have not been entirely prepared for his responses. In his initial appearance on March 22, 1978, Col. Pak complained bitterly that the Subcommittee was “ostensibly pursuing a probe of the KCIA” but had “given the impression to the world through the press that the United States Congress is investigating the Unification Church of Reverend Sun Myung Moon.” In his second appearance, Col. Pak escalated his rhetoric, stating his belief that the Chairman was “being used as an instrument of the devil.” In his third appearance, Col. Pak charged that Congressman Fraser was “an agent of influence on the Hill for the Soviet Union.” Col. Pak’s testimony was later published in a volume entitled Truth is My Sword. For its part, the Subcommittee recommended that a U.S. government inter-agency task force investigate the Unification Church. No interagency task force was created, and Congressman Fraser lost in his bid to gain a seat in the U.S. Senate. Nevertheless, his Subcommittee perpetuated a climate of suspicion and hostility in relation to True Father and the Unification Church.

MARCH 22, 1997

Dr. Sang Hun Lee Ascends

Dr. Sang Hun Lee, author of the Unification Thought (UT) and Victory over Communism (VOC) texts, passed away in Seoul, Korea, on March 22, 1997, at the age of 84. Dr. Lee, a former medical doctor, met the Unification movement in 1956 and was among the 36 couples who were blessed in 1961. In 1973, Dr. Lee published a philosophical application of Divine Principle titled Unification Thought. This was followed by Explaining Unification Thought (1981), Fundamentals of Unification Thought (1991), and Essentials of Unification Thought (1992). Dr. Lee also authored Communism: A Critique and Counterproposal (1973) and The End of Communism (1985). True Father described these works, along with Divine Principle, as “pillars” of Unificationism. For all of his intellectual acumen, Dr. Lee was bothered by his inability to clearly answer questions about the spirit world. He devoted himself to a study of the topic and, after his wife’s death in 1989, published excerpts of their correspondence as communicated through Young Soon Kim. He expressed his intention of publishing a complete doctrine of the spirit world but had not done so at the time of his passing. However, afterward Young Soon Kim published an influential volume of Dr. Lee’s messages from the spirit world titled Life in the Spirit World and on Earth (1998). Dr. Lee played a major role in subsequent spirit world messages including A Cloud of Witnesses: The Saints’ Testimonies to the True Parents (2002).

MARCH 22, 2012

Cheongshim World Peace Center Dedicated

Cheongshim World Peace Center, a massive arena designed to hold 25,000 people near the Unification movement’s Cheongpyeong Heaven and Earth Training Center, opened on the 53rd True Parent’s Day, March 22, 2012. This completed construction of the largest and most sophisticated multipurpose cultural center in South Korea, eight times larger than the Sejong Performing Arts Center and twice as large as the Olympic Gymnastics Hall. The highlight of the dedication was a performance of the “Crown of Glory,” a musical based on the life of True Parents. Performed by 60 actresses and actors with support of 150 staff and 60 orchestra performers, the script was developed with help from the research team from Cheong Shim Graduate School of Theology. A mammoth moving and rotating stage with 3D video supported the production. However, True Father emphasized the importance of the arena as a Blessing venue. He noted, “From now, we don’t have to use the Seoul Olympic Stadium; but can use this place to give birth to hundreds of thousands of blessed families here.”

MARCH 23-27, 1997

Martial Arts Federation for World Peace Founded

Four hundred leading martial artists, including Grand Masters and masters from the main martial arts schools in 83 nations attended the inaugural convention of the Martial Arts Federation for World Peace (MAFWP) at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. from March 23-27, 1997. The purpose of the convention and federation was to foster cooperation among the martial art disciplines to provide moral leadership, inspire a moral and spiritual renewal among the world’s young people, and support the establishment of world peace through the development of inner peace. True Father spoke three times at the convention and emphasized “the goal of absolute mind-body unity.” The convention included plenary sessions, breakout meetings, an organizing session, and a public exhibition of martial arts in the Hilton Grand Ballroom attended by 1,500 people including the mayor of Washington, D.C. After being established,  the Martial Arts Federation went on to set up chapters in about 40 different nations. 

MARCH 23, 2004

Crown of Peace Ceremony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building

True Father inscribes calligraphy at the ceremony.

The Unification movement conducted six “crown of peace” ceremonies from late 2003 until early 2005. The first of these was the coronation of Jesus as “King of Peace” in Jerusalem as part of the Middle East Peace Initiative on December 22, 2003. Most of the coronations did not generate controversy or significant notice outside of the movement, with the exception of the event at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 23, 2004. The program was elaborately prepared. Building on contacts established over the years through The Washington Times, the host committee included six congressional co-chairs and a partial listing of the invitational committee included three additional congressmen, as well as one current and one retired U.S. senator, four state senators, a former ambassador. Ninety-one Ambassador for Peace awardees represented all 50 states.  There was a reconciliation ceremony between the three Abrahamic faiths, and one representative each from Jewish, Islamic and Christian traditions were given national-level awards. Several congressmen and ambassadors were given global level leadership awards. All of this served as a backdrop to True Parent’s crown of peace award which included royal regalia. Following the brief ceremony, True Father delivered a keynote address on “Declaring the Era of the Peace Kingdom.” In an unscripted moment, a Jewish rabbi, inspired by the “miracle” of Jews, Christians and Muslims coming together in reconciliation, came to the microphone and blew a shofar (ram’s horn) signifying the coming of the Messiah.

The awards banquet was a closed event. However, postings on Unification web sites, including a 20-minute video, were picked up by independent bloggers and eventually the mainstream media. On June 23, three months after the event, the Washington Post published a front page article on the banquet. The New York Times reported on the ceremony the same day, noting, “Capitol Hill was in full-blown backpedaling mode, as lawmakers … struggled to explain themselves.” Unification movement representatives responded forcefully, charging that media accounts were “filled with misrepresentations, distortions and outright falsehoods.” In an official statement, the Interreligous and International Federation for World Peace called for “fair and frank consideration by an unbiased media” of questions raised by the “crown of peace” awards ceremony “before subscribing to the ‘witch hunt’ that this issue has become.”

MARCH 24, 1989

Universal Ballet Academy Dedicated

True Parents conducted a brief dedication ceremony in the chapel of the newly completed Universal Ballet Academy building in Northeast Washington, D.C. on March 24, 1989. The four story structure was restored and expanded by a Washington-based architectural firm. A new addition was constructed to house four large dance studios, equipped with mirrors and barres. Dormitory facilities (32 rooms), locker rooms, and a dining area were also built. Altogether, the Academy was built to house more than 60 boarding students in its dorms, with an additional 100 students in daytime classes. As patrons of the arts, True Parents had launched several dance institutions previously—including the Little Angels Performing Arts Center in Seoul, Korea, where students are trained at an early age in the fine and performing arts. The Academy hired Oleg Vinogradov to head the school. For the previous 13 years, he was director of the Soviet Union’s famous Kirov Ballet, the alma mater of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

MARCH 24, 2012

First Holy Marriage Blessing at the Cheongshim World Peace Center

Two days after its formal dedication, Cheongshim World Peace Center served as the venue for a major Holy Marriage Blessing. Officially, the “Blessing Ceremony in the Era to Open the Gates to the Victory, Liberation, and Completion of the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind” convened more than 20,000 Unificationists from 54 countries. More than 2,500 couples participated as newlyweds and 1,100 couples participated to “re-affirm” their marital vows. Approximately 100 countries broadcast the ceremony live by satellite while another 92 held their own marriage-Blessing ceremonies with previously-recorded materials. Due to the impressive venue and the participation of attractive, young Unificationists, the Blessing sparked widespread interest. News outlets from some 100 countries covered the event. The BBC aired a largely supportive special in Britain, titled “Married to the Moonies,” which followed three British youth and their partners as they prepared for and participated in the Blessing. A variation of the BBC version, titled “Getting Married to the Moonies,” aired in the United States. It followed three American youths and their partners.

MARCH 24, 2013

Dr. Martin Porter Ascends

On Sunday, March 24, 2013, Dr. Martin Porter, a pioneer of the Unification movement in the West, passed away. Dr. Porter was born in Hampshire, the United Kingdom, in 1942 and met the Unification movement in Rome in 1965. He was blessed in marriage by our True Parents in Europe in 1969 as part of the 43 Couples Holy Marriage Blessing that was celebrated in Essen, Germany. One of the earliest Unificationists in Europe, Dr. Porter served for many years as president of the Unification movement in Italy, from 1967 to 1977. In 1973, he moved to the United States to do evangelical work, including leading a One World Crusade team during True Parents’ Day of Hope speaking tours in 1973 and 1974. Subsequently, Dr. Porter served as the president of the Canadian Unification movement from June 1, 1977 to August 31, 1983. He later was asked to lead a shipbuilding enterprise, Master Marine and IOE Fishing Operations in Bayou la Batre, Alabama.

MARCH 25, 1994

Aewon (Garden of Love) Bank Established

True Parents established Aewon (Garden of Love) Bank on March 25, 1994, and it was given official approval by the city of Seoul on April 12. It was founded in order to realize True Parents’ vision of true love with special focus on the underprivileged and handicapped. According to Aewon’s statement of purpose: “A bank is where money is deposited. The Aewon Bank is where we deposit our love, service, and charity, however they may be expressed, for the sake of others, so that charity and true love will bring hope, courage and joy to the lives of our neighbors.” Aewon has developed cultural welfare projects such as Dream Seed Lesson, Dream Seed Concert and Performance Delivery Service. As part of the Dream Seed Lesson, volunteers teach music, art and theater to underprivileged or handicapped children. Then those children take part in a Dream Seed Concert. Volunteers with Performance Delivery Service stage performances on location for people who live in the countryside or are handicapped. The Aewon organization also hosts North Korean art exhibitions and sends books to North Korea. Its volunteers help out in local soup kitchens and assist the elderly.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of March 19–25.

A Legacy of Peace

This week in history, March 12-18:

• The first National Messiah Workshop is held (March 12, 1996)
• North Korea–South Korea Unification Rally is held (March 12, 2000)
• Decorative stones distributed in Cheongpa-dong church in Seoul (March 13, 1960)
• Dr. Bo Hi Pak begins his mission in the United States (March 14, 1961)
• True Father writes letter to Korean Unificationists during second world tour (March 15, 1969)
• True Father begins a speaking tour of U.S. Korean communities (March 17, 1990)
• Unificationists are released from a Thai prison (March 17, 1993)
• True Father proclaims the Pacific Rim Era (March 17, 2007)
• Hyo Jin Moon ascends to the Spirit World (March 17, 2009)
• Arthur Ford has a sitting with True Father (March 18, 1965)
• The first Legacy of Peace ceremony is held (March 18, 2010)

MARCH 12, 1996

First National Messiah Workshop

True Father directed a select group of Korean leaders and elders to attend a 40-day workshop at Cheongpyeong Heaven and Earth Training Center beginning March 12, 1996. The workshop was subsequently extended to 47 days. Afterward, 54 elders were assigned as “national messiahs” to 54 nations. This was the first of several national messiah workshops conducted in 1996. Eventually, quartets of Korean, Japanese, American and European “national messiahs” were assigned. They supplemented or, in most cases, replaced the original missionary teams of Japanese, Americans and Germans who had completed 21 years of missionary service, having been dispatched in 1975. As the Cheongpyeong activities had begun in earnest a year earlier, the national messiah workshops were significant in supporting that work. Many thousands of Unificationists who were not appointed national messiahs attended later Cheongpyeong workshops for the purpose of spiritual renewal. The national messiah providence built upon True Father’s 1988 declaration of “tribal messiahship” as a goal for Unificationists.

MARCH 12, 2000

North Korea–South Korea Unification Rally

The North Korea–South Korea Unification Rally was held in the Main Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, Seoul, on March 12, 2000.

Held on the foundation of similar events held to commemorate True Father’s 80th birthday in 20 Korean cities, it was a national-level event attended by around 120,000 people. In his speech, titled “The Path of Life That Needs to be Trod by God’s Princes and Princesses,” he proclaimed the age of the brotherhood of humankind. (Courtesy of the History Compilation Committee)

MARCH 13, 1960

Decorative Stones Distributed at Cheongpadong Church

On the afternoon of March 13, 1960, in the former headquarters church in Cheongpadong, Seoul, True Father distributed decorative stones that he had collected from beaches as he toured Japan’s Kanto region. He numbered each and every one of them and gave them to 248 members. He told them, “You should keep and cherish this stone that I am giving you and that you are receiving from me, deep in your heart, so that it can become a symbol for the success of your trinities.” In commemoration of the distribution of the stones, the members made groups of three, posed for pictures and received from True Father rice cakes and fruit that he personally distributed. (Courtesy of the History Compilation Committee)

MARCH 14, 1961

Dr. Bo Hi Pak Begins His Mission in the United States

Dr. Bo Hi Pak was the third Unification Church missionary to the United States, arriving on March 14, 1961. Unlike Miss Young Oon Kim and Mr. David S.C. Kim, both of whom had come on student visas, Dr. Pak—who then was known as Col. Pak—came as a diplomat, serving as assistant military attaché at the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. Like them, he also began witnessing and held Bible study sessions in his home. In early 1963, he incorporated the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) in Arlington, Virginia, and was granted a federal tax exemption. The following year he published a translation of the Principle, Outline of Study: The Divine Principles (c. 1964). However, he soon began to move in cultural and public advocacy directions. In 1962, True Father conceived the idea of forming a Korean children’s dance troupe which would become the Little Angels and asked Dr. Pak to head the initiative. Dr. Pak subsequently created the Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation (KCFF) which sponsored the Little Angels’ tours as well as Radio of Free Asia (ROFA). Dr. Pak’s work helped set the pattern for Unificationists’ intercultural and “victory over communism” efforts.

MARCH 15, 1969

True Father Writes to Korean Unificationists During Second World Tour

On departing the United States for Europe during his Second World Tour, True Father wrote an open letter to members in Korea. He expressed concern over “news of an unprecedented snowfall in Korea” and wrote he was “happy to say” that True Mother, then pregnant, was “well.” He also noted that after reading letters from “back home … we all become joyful.” The main content of the letter conveyed “something of what I have felt in America during the tour.” After mentioning “many complicated problems” over which “America is in agony,” he wrote:

Contrasting American and Korean members, both have relative merits and demerits. I feel that Oriental customs are conservative, but that they do not break new ground, whereas the West is open, realistic and sociable. From this, it is possible to say that the former is internal and passive, the latter, external and positive. There is no racial discrimination among Unification Church members. They are noticeably different from other groups. I think the intimate relationship that exists among members is unprecedented in history. It truly shows we are all brothers and sisters with one heart. When we compare the American membership, comprising several different races, with the Korean membership consisting of one race, the former seem to have very promising prospects. In saying that, I do not mean that only the West is good. I just think the reason is that America offers its citizens an environment through which they encounter many nations and cultures, and experience much more. Therefore, I hope that the Oriental members will go abroad and keep in frequent contact with other nations in the future.

True Parents’ Second World Tour took them to 21 nations over a three-month period until May 2, 1969. True Mother gave birth to Hyun Jin Moon on May 10, 1969, eight days after returning.

MARCH 17, 1990

True Father Begins Speaking Tour of U.S. Korean Communities

True Parents receive flowers at the San Francisco public speech to the Korean community on March 18, 1990.

True Father launched his first U.S. speaking tour since the 1970s, addressing Korean communities in five U.S. cities, beginning in San Francisco on March 17, 1990. The other cities were Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York, and True Father said the five cities represented the 50 states of America. True Father spoke on the topic “True Unification and One World.” The events were promoted as “Welcoming True Parents Rallies.” They served to introduce True Parents’ activities and thought to Koreans in America and to familiarize the Korean community with the term “True Parents.” True Father had conducted “Welcoming True Parents” rallies in five Korean cities the previous month. These rallies were part of the lead-up to the Moscow Rally in April 1990 and True Parents’ declaration of their roles on the worldwide level.

MARCH 17, 1993

Unificationists Released from Thai Prison

Dr. Lek’s wife Vipa at the women’s prison where she endured separation from her husband and the other Unificationists.

On June 26, 1991, eight leaders of the Unification Church in Thailand, including the national leader, Dr. Lek Thaveetermsakul, were arrested and jailed under charges of treason. “Crime Suppression Police” subsequently invaded Unification Church centers nationwide. The action was taken under the auspices of Thai army generals who had declared martial law and who were influenced by newspaper attacks on the church. Treason was understood to mean subversion against the monarchy or nation, and its penalty was life imprisonment or execution. After three months, the case was filed and no bail was allowed. The eight leaders were imprisoned for 21 months, until March 17, 1993, when the king of Thailand took unprecedented action to relieve the top dictatorial general of his duties as head of Thailand, replacing him with a prime minister who formulated a constitutional system. An era of tyranny ended, and friends of the Unification Church of Thailand successfully demanded bail for the eight leaders who were released. However, the case continued for another eight years, until September 1, 2001, when the Thai Supreme Court acquitted the eight of all charges.

MARCH 17, 2007

True Father Proclaims the Pacific Rim Era

True Father declared 2007 to be a “Great Jubilee Year” in God’s providence. The major reason for this was the beginning of “The Pacific Rim Era.” In a March 17 speech titled “A Providential View of the Pacific Rim Era in Light of God’s Will—The United States and the Future Direction of the United Nations and the World,” delivered before 700 Unificationist leaders and Ambassadors for Peace on the grounds of “Hawaii King Garden,” a church-owned property on the island of Kona, he stated:

The development of human civilization has completed a circuit of the entire globe and has arrived at the Pacific sphere. Human history has come to a point in time in the providence at which it should reach completion and fruition through the Pacific Rim region. No force can impede the providence now. Though there were both victories and defeats … in the era before heaven, nothing could prevent the rise of the Pacific Rim Era. Herein lies the reason that Heaven declared this a jubilee year.

True Father drew together themes that had been prominent in his thought for some time, including his identity as “the True Parent of humankind,” the fruition of human civilization “in the Pacific Rim region, centered on the Korean Peninsula,” oceans as “the resource on which humanity’s future depends,” the responsibility of the United States “to bring harmony and oneness among the world’s 6.5 billion people and to expedite the creation of a peaceful, ideal world,” the significance of international and cross-cultural Marriage Blessings, and the necessity of  “an ‘Abel-type’ counterpart to the United Nations.” He also proclaimed, “The oceanic era that has begun represents the women’s era.”

True Father delivered the Pacific Rim speech in a “New Civilization” tour covering 24 cities in Korea during April and early May of 2007. True Mother delivered the same speech in 10 Japanese cities from May 2 to 11. The American portion of the tour continued through May and June. Unificationists subsequently held “New Civilization” rallies in their respective nations.

MARCH 17, 2009

Hyo Jin Moon Ascends

World Seong Hwa Ceremony honors Hyo Jin Moon.

Hyo Jin Moon, the eldest son of True Parents, died of a heart attack at 9:46 a.m. on March 17 in Seoul, Korea. He was born there on December 3, 1962, but grew up in the United States. For many years he ran Manhattan Center Studios, a state-of-the-art multimedia facility in New York City that was favored by leading musicians and orchestras both for recording and televised events. He worked for 10 years (1985-94) as the first president of the World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (World CARP). One of the defining moments of his presidency was the 4th World CARP

Hyo Jin Moon was the first son of True Parents.

Convention in Berlin in 1987. Hyo Jin Nim led 1,000 students on a memorable march to the Berlin Wall, where he delivered a stirring speech, calling on Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to be a righteous man and tear down the wall.
He was an intensely passionate singer and lead guitarist who produced over a dozen CDs and a catalog of thousands of compositions. True Parents held a world-level Seonghwa Ceremony and wrote a special calligraphy translated as “He will open and liberate the deepest heaven and turn it into a flower garden as the lord who opens the gates of loyalty and filial piety.” He left his wife, Yun Ah Choi, and four children, as well as five children from a previous marriage.

MARCH 18, 1965

Arthur Ford Sitting

Arthur Ford (1896-1971) was one of America’s best-known psychics, famous for his sittings with the widow of escape artist Harry Houdini as well as for founding the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship (SFF). He had become aware of True Father through Charles Brooke, the former rajah of Sarawak and himself the leader of an English metaphysical group, who met an early Unificationist missionary and traveled to Korea to meet True Father, whom he regarded as the “earth form of limitless love.” On March 18, 1965, Ford had a sitting with True Father, accompanied by Col. Bo Hi Pak and others, during True Father’s first world tour. Ford later included “The Sun Myung Moon Sittings” in his work Unknown But Known (1968). During the sitting, Ford’s communicator, Fletcher, stated, “It is not easy for me to get down to the level of Ford. Great power in the form of light—if you were to see the light that surrounds you—most of you would be blinded by it. … In another setting I would insist that my instrument and the rest of you should take off your shoes. But spiritually you can create the humility that will enable you to know that you are in the presence of truth-Incarnate and Discarnate. … Sun Myung Moon is the one I have been talking about.” True Father was viewed with interest by New Age leaders during the late 1960s. However, with the emergence of the Unification Church as an increasingly well-defined and controversial movement during the 1970s, New Age and spiritualist groups generally ignored or criticized the church.

MARCH 18, 2010

First Legacy of Peace Ceremony

Gen. Alexander Haig, who as a young officer in the U.S. Army participated in the U.N. military attack on North Korea’s Heungnam labor camp in October 1950 which freed True Father after nearly three years of confinement, passed away on February 20, 2010. Gen. Haig, who was the U.S. secretary of state in 1981 and 1982 under President Ronald Reagan, was a supporter of The Washington Times and participated in Unificationist-organized events. True Father asked church leaders to attend his funeral services and to place a large gift of flowers at Arlington National Cemetery. A few days later, top church leaders hosted a private memorial dinner at the Sheraton National Hotel attended by General Haig’s son, Alexander P. Haig, who thanked the Unification Church and True Father for their support. True Father subsequently directed the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) to hold a larger, more public event at the United Nations. Held on March 18, 2010, the “Memorial Festival of Ascension and Unity,” convened in the United Nations Secretariat Building, also honored more than 100 UN personnel killed in a recent Haiti earthquake as well as Rodrigo Carazo, the former president of Costa Rica, who died the previous December, and other peace advocates. The event was highly successful and gave birth to “Legacy of Peace” events elsewhere in the United States and throughout the world. In addition to honoring the recently deceased, the events provided a platform for communicating church views on eternal life and the Marriage Blessing as an instrument of peace.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of March 12-18.

An International Sisterhood

This week in history, March 5-11:

• True Mother goes on tour in Japan (March 5-13, 2012)
• Sun Jin Moon is appointed as FFWPU International President (March 6, 2015)
• The Middle East Times begins publication (March 7, 1983)
• One Hundred City Speaking Tour is held in the United States (March 8, 1994)
• A power outage occurs during True Father’s speech (March 8, 2001) 
• True Father’s autobiography is published (March 9, 2009)
• The Family Party for Peace and Unity is inaugurated (March 10, 2003)
• A Unificationist is freed in Kazakhstan (March 10, 2009)
• International sisterhood ceremonies are held (March 11 – Novemeber 8, 1994)
• A massive tsunami hits Japan (March 11, 2011)

March 5-13, 2012

True Mother’s Japan Tour

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the founding of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), True Mother delivered an address, “The Role of Women in the Age after the Coming of Heaven and the Mission of the Women’s Federation,” in a multi-city tour of Japan from March 5 to 13. In addition to her public speeches, True Mother led Hoon Dok Hweeach day and reported to True Father, who viewed each event from locations in Korea. On departure, True Father told her, “I pray that God will be with you so that a flower garden will come into bloom where the True Mother goes.” He also told True Mother to take his wallet, containing all of his ID cards with her, so that members would feel his presence. True Mother distributed donations from his wallet at three locations. After returning to Korea, True Mother said: “The faith of the Japanese members is so beautiful. There are so many difficulties internally and externally in Japan, but when I see the members firmly holding their faith and doing the best they can on the front line, I want to do what I can for them. I wish I could have done more for them.”

MARCH 6, 2015

Sun Jin Moon Appointed FFWPU International President

On March 6, 2015, at the Cheon Il Guk Leaders’ Assembly, True Mother appointed Sun Jin Moon as FFWPU international president and her husband, In Sup Park, as FFWPU vice president. True Mother stated: “More than anybody else they represent the True Family, and they have selflessly followed True Parents’ tradition, showing you the example. Together with you, they will move us toward the fulfillment of Vision 2020 and they will build, together with you, the eternal Kingdom of Cheon Il Guk.” She expressed hope that leaders “will help them wholeheartedly.”

MARCH 7, 1983

Middle East Times Begins Publication

True Father first shared his vision of the importance of creating a newspaper for the Middle East at an international leaders’ conference at his sixtieth birthday observance in 1980. He did so for two major reasons. First, Unificationist missionaries were specifically forbidden from pursuing traditional missionary activities in predominantly Islamic nations. Second, local publications were of generally poor quality both in production standards and, more importantly, editorial standards. In fact, Middle East media contributed to divisions within the region by being highly partisan, controlled either directly or indirectly by government or religious interests. The Middle East Times, founded at the end of 1982, published its first edition on March 7, 1983. Its vision was to promote a regional view of the Middle East, taking a position of reconciliation between different sides. Published out of Cyprus, the weekly paper utilized the talents and experience of Unificationist missionaries in the region. By 1985, it circulated in 12 countries. By 1991, it circulated in 18 countries with a readership of 50,000 every week. It also played a significant providential role in connecting the Grand Muftis of Syria and Yemen as well as other Middle East leaders to True Parents.

MARCH 8, 1994

One Hundred City Speaking Tour in the United States

A 100-city speaking tour in the United States was conducted from March 8 to April 27, 1994. In this tour, which had the theme “True Parents and the Completed Testament Age,” True Mother went to ten Ivy League universities, starting from Harvard University, and several of the True Children gave speeches at other universities. True Mother emphasized in her speech, “Adam and Eve were supposed to perfect their true love, and, as true parents, they were supposed to form a perfected family characterized by true love and true lineage.” (Courtesy of the History Compilation Committee)

MARCH 8, 2001

Power Outage in Minneapolis

One of the more bizarre occurrences during any of True Father’s public speaking engagements happened in Minneapolis during his 2001 “We Will Stand in Oneness” tour with the American Clergy Leadership Conference. True Father was speaking at the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, which was filled to capacity with close to 1,000 people. Archbishop George Augustus Stallings had given a rousing introduction in which he stated that True Father has “a triple A rating from clergy who know him,” being “Anointed, Appointed, and Approved by God.” The atmosphere, as one report put it, was “electric.” Then, with some twenty minutes to go in True Father’s speech, a transformer blew, plunging the whole neighborhood into darkness. The microphones went out and no one could see anything. According to a report, “At first there was silence and then a young girl’s scream. Some of the audience fled into the night. There was confusion and even despair, until an usher shone his flashlight on the stage.” True Father was heard to say, “Please don’t leave.” Bishop Stallings also went out into the audience, saying: “Be at peace. God is in control.” As more flashlights surfaced and candles were lit, the stage was bright in the warm glow of candlelight. Large candelabras were placed behind the podium. True Father completed his message.

MARCH 9, 2009

True Father’s Autobiography Published

As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen

The idea of publishing True Father’s autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, was first proposed by Gimm-Young Publishing Company, a leading Korean publisher. Its president, Ms. Pak Eun-ju, a practicing Buddhist, approached the church in 2008 and obtained access to voluminous source material, notablyTrue Parents’ Life Course (12 volumes), a work comprising excerpts from True Father’s speeches arranged chronologically in the form of an autobiographical account. Church representatives worked with the publisher’s writers to craft the final product, published on March 9, 2009. It quickly made Korea’s non-fiction best-seller list. On June 1, 2009, the church hosted a commemoration of the autobiography’s publication at the Seoul Convention and Exhibition (COEX) Center for 3,500 people, including 200 foreign dignitaries. An English translation was ready by May 2010, and there was a parallel launch event. Many U.S. members purchased 430 copies, at True Parents’ request, for distribution to contacts. More than 144,000 were distributed in Las Vegas alone.

As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen consists of eight chapters which follow the general chronological flow of True Father’s life. The earlier chapters are exceptionally rich in autobiographical detail surrounding his family background, early upbringing and call to faith. The account vividly describes True Father’s torture at the hands of Japanese and North Korean interrogators as well as his imprisonments in South Korea and the United States. The later chapters focus on True Father’s marriage and family ministry and initiatives for world peace. True Father described the autobiography as an “honest and candid account.” He said it “expresses about 80 percent of [my] life.” In one speech he said he had “as much faith” in his autobiography as in the “Eight Great Textbooks.”

MARCH 10, 2003

Inauguration of the Family Party for Peace and Unity

True Father founded the Cheonju Pyeonghwa Tongil Gajeong Dang, or Family Party for Peace and Unity (FPPU), on March 10, 2003. Its purposes were primarily educational—to promote a true-family movement and a pure-love movement to expunge the immoral culture that has produced problems throughout the world. In fact, the Family Party neither campaigned nor fielded a candidate for office by 2007 and thereby was legally dissolved, according to a Korean law which required that a political party elect at least one candidate to office within a four-year period. The Family Party was re-registered on August 28, 2007, and it announced that it would field candidates in the 2008 general elections for the National Assembly. FPPU was the only political party to field candidates in all 245 legislative districts. However, none were elected, and FPPU’s party registration was again canceled. Nationally, FPPU won 1.05 percent of the vote. There were some positive outcomes. Many Family Party candidates campaigned earnestly on buses, in public speeches and in television or radio debates with opponents. Their efforts did not necessarily translate into votes but helped turn public opinion on the Family Party and on Unificationism from negative to friendly in some districts. Parents and relatives of members, many of whom had been negative, were also said to be proud that their sons and daughters, nephews and nieces had committed to be candidates for public office.

MARCH 10, 2009

Unificationist Freed in Kazakhstan

On March 10, 2009, an appeals court in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, took action to release Elizaveta (Liza) Drenicheva, who had served 61 days in prison for a “crime against the peace and security of humankind.” Her offense had been to gather four persons for a seminar in which she taught the Unification Principle. Ms. Drenicheva, who is a Russian citizen, joined the Unification Church in 1995 and began mission work in Kazakhstan, a former republic of the Soviet Union, in 2006 during which time twelve full-time members joined. However, on January 2, 2008, at 6:00 a.m., KGB officers broke in to the Unification Peace Embassy, taking away literature and computers and arresting Ms. Drenicheva. She was released after two days but faced trial on October 24, 2008, was convicted, and sentenced on January 9, 2009, to two years in prison. Unificationists worldwide considered her to be a “prisoner of conscience” and launched a broad-based “Free Liza” campaign which resulted in her release. Unfortunately, the government refused to reverse her conviction. It wasn’t until 2013 that the Unification Church obtained official registration as a religious association.

MARCH 11 – NOVEMBER 8, 1994

Sisterhood Ceremonies

True Father understood that women would play a leading role in fostering peace in the Completed Testament Age. Under the auspices of Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), more than 200,000 Korean and Japanese women came together to create sisterly ties on 38 separate occasions between March 11 and November 8, 1994. The sisterhood ceremonies in the United States between Japanese and American women had a significant impact due to the involvement of persons with exceedingly high public profiles, most notably, former President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush. They were deeply touched by their experience and later traveled with True Mother to speak in support of her work on a six-city speaking tour of Japan.

MARCH 11, 2011

Massive Tsunami Hits Japan

True Father in Las Vegas, praying for the safety of Japan after the earthquake.

A 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake approximately 43.5 miles off the Japanese coastline on March 11, 2011, triggered a powerful tsunami, with waves reaching heights of up to 133 feet, which, in the area of the city of Sendai, traveled up to 6 miles inland. Referred to in Japan as the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded to have hit Japan, and the fourth most powerful earthquake in the world since modern record-keeping began in 1900. The earthquake moved Honshu (the main island of Japan) 8 feet eastward and shifted the Earth on its axis by between 4 and 10 inches.  A Japanese National Police Agency report confirmed 15,889 deaths, 6,152 injured, and 2,601 people missing across twenty prefectures, as well as 127,290 buildings totally collapsed, with a further 272,788 buildings “half collapsed” and another 747,989 buildings partially damaged. The tsunami caused level 7 nuclear meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents in an 18-mile radius who were forced to evacuate. The World Bank’s estimated economic cost was US $235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in world history.

As a major center of world Unificationism, the Japanese Unification Church was directly impacted by the tsunami. In the immediate aftermath, there were reports of two confirmed deaths. However, Unificationists also lost relatives and homes. Some 300 to 400 Unificationists resided in Sendai, the worst-hit city. More than 500 Unificationists were evacuated to four facilities in Japan. The Japanese Church called for a three-day fast immediately after the earthquake and began relief efforts, delivering food and blankets to survivors. True Father directed the International Church to donate $1.7 million for relief through the Japanese Red Cross. American Unificationists donated $120,000 and partnered with the Christian Disaster Response organization to train Youth Ambassadors for Peace and other volunteers in Japan.

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of March 5-11.