WASHINGTON TIMES, Sunday, November 30, 1997

Marital rite unites 40,000 at stadium

Rev. and Mrs. Moon use the RFK event to "bless" 3.60 million

couples worldwide.

By Larry Witham, The Washington Times

Vows of dedication--and re-dedication--to love and marriage

echoed from the storied playing field of Robert F. Kennedy

Stadium yesterday and resounded around the world form a

"blessing" ceremony presided over by the Rev. Sun Myung

Moon, his wife and representatives of six other religious

faiths.

>From their seats, 40,000 persons rededicating their

marriages looked down on 1,300 newly betrothed couples in

traditional white gowns and dark suits as clergy, statesmen

and entertainers lauded their commitments.

Rev. Moon and his wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, prayed that by

"the authority of heaven and earth" the couples, including a

reported 3.6 million participating yesterday via satellite

transmission to other countries,, become "true ancestors of

mankind from this point on."

Rev. and Mrs. Moon then sprinkled "holy water" on a

representative group of the assembly on a large white stage,

and attendants in white robes sprinkled water from silver

bowls on participants throughout the stadium.

"I thought it was a little exotic, and very interesting," said

Joshua Jahangir of Arlington, who attended with Chong

Jahangir, his wife of 17 years. "We wanted to renew our

vows. That's why we are here."

Eduardo and Rosemary Rivera of Alexandria attend a Roman

Catholic church, but said they were comfortable with the

interdenominational ceremony. "It's bigger that I thought it

would be," Mr. Rivera said.

The RFK ceremony concluded a week of academic

conferences and youth events of the World Culture and

Sports Festival III. Previous festivals were held in 1992 and

1995.

The newlyweds are members of the Unification Church and

are said to represent 185 countries. They will be legally

married later in civil ceremonies in their own countries,

festival organizers said.

All the couples in the stadium, some of them married for

decades in their chosen faiths, were encouraged to

exchange rings again before reciting "Yes, I do," to four vows

of fidelity to each other, to their families and to world peace.

"you have chosen with profound resolve to raise your

families in trust and respect," Oscar Arias Sanchez, the

former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Prize laureate, told

them. "Your children will be well-prepared to work in service

of humanity."

The six religious leaders who offered a blessing in their own

religious traditions included Sri Swami Satchidinanda of

India, a Hindu; Sul Jung Jeon of Korea, a Buddhist; the Rev.

Francis Xavier D'Sa of India, a Jesuit priest; Archbishop Ioan

of Russia, head of the Orthodox Church of Mother Mary; the

High Bhai Kirpal Singh of Malaysia, a Sikh; and Louis

Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam.

"Marriage is the cornerstone of the family, and family is the

cornerstone of the nation," Mr. Farrakhan told the assembly.

"If God is the cornerstone of your marriage, your marriage

will never fail."

Father D'Sa, a professor at a Catholic university in India,

prayed that God would make the married couples "aware

that you are the source and sustenance of your dedication."

At midday, festival organizers issued a statement that singer

Whitney Houston, billed as the top entertainer for "Blessing

'97," had canceled only hours before her 45-minute

performance due to sudden "illness." The cancellation

followed two weeks of media speculation about her million-

dollar-or-more contract, and agitation by The Washington

Post to persuade her to withdraw from her contract. The

program emcee announced her cancellation at the end of

the festival.

When many expected Miss Houston to appear, the festival

concluded at 5 p.m. with a laser light show and fireworks

display. "If she's sick, I hope and pray she's better," said

Lawanda Valentine of the District. "But they should have let

people know she's not coming."

A month ago, Miss Houston canceled an appearance 45

minutes before she was to appear on "The Rosie O'Donnell

Show" and received only faint expressions of sympathy from

Miss O'Donnell.

But most of those in the stadium appeared to have come for

the more serious business of love and marriage. Gordon

Melton, a scholar of religions who observed the event, said it

was not unusual in the world of religious festivals. "It's

impressive in its size and its staging, but many spiritual or

religious groups hold mass festivals."

Rev. Moon is controversial in some respects, he said, "but

most Americans would have no problem with the ideals of

the event." He offered mild criticism of the decision to

include Mr. Farrakhan "center stage," given his comments on

other religions. Mr. Farrakhan once described Judaism as "a

gutter religion."

About 20 persons picketed the stadium. "People are getting

married without freedom of mind," said Bill Finch, a former

head of alumni relations at the University of Bridgeport and

a current member of the Bridgeport, Conn., City Council.

Mr. Finch left the university, which was on the verge of

closing, after it was purchased and kept open by an

educational organization founded by Rev. Moon.

Luis and Evette Barreto of Dover, NJ., said they were

surprised the day someone invited them to rededicate their

marriage in a small wine ceremony, and then go to RFK by

bus. "We enjoyed that," Mrs. Barreto said. "Nobody [else] is

taking care of the family."

Dwinal and Eva Herrick of Maine were married 15 years ago

by a justice of the peace because he was a Mormon and she

a Roman Catholic. The event yesterday was the first religious

blessing of their bond. "It was different," Mr. Herrick said. "It

might deepen our marriage a little bit."

Outside the stadium, a satellite truck with two disk antennas

beamed the morning blessing ceremony to seven satellites,

and the images were then transmitted by downlinks to 54

locations around the world. "The ceremony, sponsored by

the Family Federation for World Peace, will link families of

virtually every religion, race and culture," said festival general

secretary Neil Salonen.

He said that through a yearlong outreach, 39.6 million

couples had taken part in the "blessing" commitment. The

goal for 2001 is to expand that to 360 million couples.

Several members of Congress, governors and mayors praised

the purposes of the festival. Gov.-elect James S. Gilmore III,

Virginia Republican, declared yesterday "A Day of Peace

Through Family Unity," and the mayor of Scranton, Pa.,

declared it "World Peace Through True Families Day." Rep.

Albert R. Wynn, Maryland Democrat, and Rep. Wayne T.

Gilchrest, Maryland Republican, commended the event as

well.