Largest And Most Diverse Interfaith Peace Prayer Rally Ever Held

Gapyeong, South Korea — As many as 20,000 religious leaders of all faith traditions and from around the world joined together in a hybrid setting to pray for peace globally and specifically for the reunification of the Korean peninsula.

Over one million people viewed the prayer rally online via various social media platforms, while 1,200 assembled under Covid protocols at the Cheongshim Peace World Center north of the capital Seoul. This was likely the largest and most diverse interfaith gathering ever.

The event was organized by the Universal Peace Federation and the Washington Times Foundation, both founded by the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon.

The welcome address was given by Pastor Paula White, from the City of Destiny Church in Apopka, Florida, USA and spiritual advisor to former President Donald Trump for the past 22 years. The theme for her message was restoration but she began by thanking Mother Moon for her vision to hold this historic global prayer rally.

Pastor White went on to say, “This restoration will include… bringing forth finances and properties, and resources for ministries in order to reconstitute nations. And I believe this restoration, this reconstitution, will include the reunification of North and South Korea.”

Prayers and messages of peace representing 80 denominations from 157 nations who have diplomatic relations with North and South Korea were offered. However, because of time constraints, only six messages were aired. These included:

• Bishop Munib Younan, Palestinian Bishop Emeritus of the Evangelical Lutheran Church representing Protestantism;

• Prof. Dr. KH Nasarudin Umar, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, founder of the Indonesian interfaith organization Masyarakat Dialog Antar Umat Beragama and Vice-Minister (2011–2014) in the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs representing Islam;

• Cardinal Kelvin Felix, Roman Catholic Archbishop emeritus of Castries representing Catholicism; Rev. Tokushu Murei, from Japan representing Shintoism;

• Prophet Samuel Radebe, founder and leader of the Revelation Church of God in South Africa representing African Spiritualism;

• Dr. Khy Sovanratana, Vice-Rector at the Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia representing Buddhism; and

• Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation in India representing Hinduism.

Mother Moon, known by the title of her memoir Mother of Peace, called for religious leaders to lead the way beyond selfish secularism and materialist self-indulgence. She urged them to lead all people to return to God.

“Our earnest, sincerest wish is to unite together as one,” she said. Mother Moon continued by emphasizing that we must “find the freedom, the unity, the happiness, [and] the joy that was lost (at the time of the Fall).” However, she cautioned, “A world of true peace and joy can only be realized when we invite God—the True Owner and Heavenly Parent—to dwell with us.”

World-class entertainment was interspersed throughout the 3-hour event. This included the Little Angels Folk Ballet, an international peace choir, religious renditions of sacred Buddhist scriptures, and a traditional Korean singer.

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