WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE, NOVEMBER 30, 1997

Whitney Houston a No-Show as Moon Presides Over Mass

Wedding

By Caryle Murphy and Linda Wheeler

Washington Post Staff Writers

Sunday, November 30, 1997; Page B01

Wearing crowns and identical gold-trimmed white robes, the Rev.

and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, better known to their followers as the

"True Parents" of the world, presided yesterday over a mass

wedding and marriage rededication ceremony at Robert F.

Kennedy Memorial Stadium that drew about 40,000 people,

including 2,500 Unification Church couples who consented to

arranged marriages.

The Moons, showing a flair reminiscent of old Broadway musicals,

held hands and descended a red-carpeted staircase flanked by

white-robed attendants. After a symbolic sprinkling of water, they

led couples in saying, "I do," to four pledges recited during the

noontime "Blessings '97" ceremony, including the promise to

"inherit the tradition of the Unification Church and pass its proud

tradition down to future generations of Unification families and to

all mankind."

The specific nature of the four pledges, and the larger-than-

expected number of church couples marrying, made Moon's

controversial church the focal point of what had been aggressively

promoted as an interfaith gathering to encourage God-centered

families.

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan joined the Moons and

representatives of several other religious faiths in offering

blessings to all the couples in the stadium, which for yesterday's

ceremony had a seating capacity of 52,000 and appeared to be

about three-fourths filled.

Church and stadium officials estimated that more than 40,000

people, mostly couples, attended the event, including about 2,500

Moon-matched couples who took marriage vows on the football

field. These couples, however, must fulfill whatever requirements

exist where they live to be considered legally married.

Church officials said they were happy with the turnout, particularly

considering yesterday's cold, cloudy weather. They said 3.6 million

couples participated in the ceremony via a satellite broadcast.

Most of those attending the RFK event seemed to be Moon

supporters, including many who came from overseas, some at

church expense.

But there were several prominent no-shows, most notably singer

Whitney Houston, who was supposed to collect about $1 million for

a 45-minute concert. She sent word two hours before her

scheduled appearance that she was ill, according to festival

organizers.

"Her band is here; her publicist is here," said an exasperated

Lavonia Perryman, a publicist for the event.

Organizers waited until after the fireworks show that concluded

the program to tell the crowd that Houston wasn't coming. Cornelia

Budd, 33, of Silver Spring, said that Houston was the reason she

attended the event but that she

enjoyed the day nonetheless.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Budd, who said church

members came to her house last week and gave her the $40-a-

couple tickets when she said she couldn't afford them.

"Blessing '97" was the main event in the week-long, Moon-

sponsored World Culture and Sports Festival III, intended to raise

the profile of his Unification Church, which some have called a

cult, by drawing on a "family values" theme popular among many

Americans.

Large groups of Japanese and Korean church members, most of

whom arrived by chartered buses and spoke little English, said they

had come to the United States just for the RFK event.

In the lines of people passing through the turnstiles were hundreds

of female church members decked out in lacy bridal gowns, veils

and white gloves and carrying fresh flowers.

There were, as expected, some last-minute butterflies, since most

couples met for the first time only a few weeks ago. An Asian

couple were seen talking earnestly, the woman apparently having

last-minute qualms. They were guided into a tent after asking for

counseling, a church member said.

For others, it was a wedding with no spouse since their intendeds

were far away. Framed pictures of their betrothed had to suffice.

Michelle Myers, 23, was matched by church officials two weeks

ago to a church member in Moscow. He could not get a visa in time

for the ceremony, but she was there just the same in her white

gown.

"I brought my cell phone. I'm going to call him as soon as it's over,"

she said.

Although the Moons have no legal powers to marry couples, most

church members said they considered the ceremony their "spiritual

wedding." Some couples showed strong emotions during the

ceremony, crying at times.

One groom fainted but declined when D.C. paramedics offered to

take him to a hospital, saying he did not want to miss the

ceremony.

D.C. police said there were only two incidents at the stadium, one

arrest for simple assault and a reported theft from a tour bus.

Mike Ashtari, of Falls Church, who runs Mike's Cafe, brought his

wife, Mitra,

their two children and his wife's mother, paying $70 for five

tickets. The Ashtaris, who are Muslims and originally from Iran,

said their marriage had been "blessed" by the Unification Church

six months ago.

"It's a great idea, save the family," Mitra Ashtari said.

Then there were Yolanta and Endret Bortner. She is Polish; he is

French. They live in Monaco, are Roman Catholic and have been

married, he said, "exactly 10 years."

The couple, she beaming in a long white gown, veil and fur shawl,

he dressed in a morning suit, were flown to Washington, all

expenses paid, by the church, because, Bortner said, "they find

that we are a very, very fine couple."

With festival organizers aiming to fill the stadium, the price of

"Blessing '97" tickets dropped gradually from an initial $35 each to

the point where church members were distributing them free in

recent days.

David Anderson, 62, of Northeast Washington, who showed up at

RFK at 9:30 a.m. yesterday and tried to get a refund on two tickets

he bought at a senior citizen center for $20 each, had no luck.

Instead, he was given two white tote bags and box lunches.

"Can't win 'em all," said Anderson, who has been married since

1969.

When the wedding and blessing portion of the program ended,

Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, sat regally on

two thrones and were given two large bouquets and a trophy. Neil

Salonen, a church official who served as master of ceremonies,

asked those assembled to thank the Moons, as is the Asian custom,

by bowing to the couple, and most stadium attendees tilted at the

waists.

Brides and grooms then acted like newly marrieds anywhere,

posing endlessly for photographs with new spouses and friends.

Couples settled onto the grass to eat the gourmet box lunches,

40,000 of which had been ordered from Windows Catering of

Alexandria. Each box had breast of capon, rice and red beans,

carrot and apple salad and a piece of cake. Windows' owner,

Henry Dinardo, also served a sit-down lunch for VIPS who sat on a

six-tiered stage built for the event.

Festival officials, in announcing that Houston would not be

performing, said they wished her good health. Singer Dionne

Warwick introduced other acts, including singer Jon Secada, the

Korean rock group Cho Yong-Pil and the District's Eastern Senior

High School marching band.

Yesterday's event also drew seven anti-Moon protesters who

arrived early and stationed themselves outside the stadium. Led by

former Unification Church member Steve Hassan, of Boston, the

group chanted and waved posters reading, "Moon Esta Loco" and

"The Wedding Is a Sham."

The Rev. Phillip D. Shanker, a senior Unification Church official in

Washington, walked over to the group and held out his hand.

"You're Steve Hassan? I've always wanted to meet you!" said

Shanker, as he and Hassan shook hands. Shanker said he objected

to protesters calling the church "a brainwashed community,"

adding that this description did not fit his 25-year experience with

the organization.

One protester shoved an anti-Moon leaflet into Shanker's hands,

and others began shouting, drowning out his voice.

"One at a time," Hassan yelled. He then proposed a public debate

between himself and Shanker, who took Hassan's card and

promised to call.

"He won't call. They never do," Hassan said.

Marching around outside the stadium by herself, Margaret

Cantrell, 34, of Washington, said she was protesting the church's

"homophobia." The teacher held up a cardboard sign that said,

"Gays, lesbians, bis, love our family too. Reject Unification Church

homophobia."

The Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy, a former D.C. delegate to Congress

who had earlier said he would attend "Blessing '97" and was listed

several days ago as one of the participating clergy members, did

not attend yesterday. Neither did Mayor Marion Barry (D), who had

earlier been one of the announced attendees.

Raymone Bain, a Barry spokeswoman, said the mayor had turned

down the offer to appear at the church event "some time ago. I

never saw it on his schedule. I would have known if he had ever

intended to be there."