A Lasting Legacy: Bridging Cultures Together

This week in history, July 12-18:

• 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 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)
• True Father is sentenced to prison in the United States (July 16, 1981)
• The Establishment Rally for the Abel Women UN is held (July 16, 2012)

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, Korea. 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.

July 13, 2001

True Father Invited to Give a Lecture at the National Assembly

On July 13, 2001, True Father gave a speech in a conference room at the National Assembly Building in Seoul, Korea. Congressman Lee Man-seop, 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. 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.”

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 had been established between Korea and Japan, 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. 

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.

July 16, 1981

True Father Sentenced to Prison in the United States

Following what was described as “the most intensive and expensive criminal tax investigation of any religious figure in U.S. history” and a six-week trial riddled with procedural irregularities, on May 18, 1981, True Father was found guilty of tax evasion and obstruction of justice. On July 16 he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a $25,000 fine plus costs. This marked the beginning of a broad-based movement for religious freedom which eventually resulted in briefs filed by organizations representing 120 million Americans, that supported True Father’s appeal of his conviction.

July 16, 2012

Establishment Rally for the Abel Women UN

True Parents inaugurated the “Abel Women UN” at the Cheongshim World Peace Center in Korea on July 16, 2012. Women representing 193 nations, most of them members of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), attended. In his keynote address True Father stated, “The fact is that the historic inaugural assembly of the Abel Women UN held today has been made possible through the declaration of the advent of the global era of women.” In her address, True Mother said the establishment of the Abel Women UN would go beyond the level of women’s NGOs and “bring the governments around the world together.” She termed its establishment “the command of God which must be obeyed.” The Inaugural Rally for the Abel Women UN concluded True Father’s public ministry. It was, as True Mother later noted, “the last providential event … [he] hosted on earth.”