Congratulations to the couples that received the Holy Marriage Blessing from True Parents at the 360 million Couples Blessing in 1999.
True Parents blessed couples on a mass level during the 1990s. This was referred to as the “globalization” of the Holy Marriage Blessing and focused largely on previously married couples. Unificationists worldwide conducted marriage rededications, which then were sanctified by True Parents at International Marriage Blessings broadcast globally by satellite. On February 7, 1999, True Parents conducted the largest Blessing to date for 360 million couples. The main venue was Seoul Olympic Stadium which was packed with 100,000 participants, many of whom had been brought by 3,000 buses. Although conducted in mid-winter, the weather cooperated and conditions on the day of the ceremony were quite good. What was known as “Blessing 99” penetrated Korean society more powerfully than previous ceremonies, in part due to Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s presence at the Segye Times’ 10th anniversary six days prior to the event. He shared the podium with True Parents and participated in an anniversary cake cutting. Gen. Alexander Haig, former U.S. secretary of state under Ronald Reagan and White House chief of staff under Richard Nixon, participated in a conference preceding the Blessing and provided another focal point. In an introduction to True Father, Gen. Haig described how their lives first intersected during the Korean War, praised True Father for his conciliatory approach to President Nixon during the Watergate Crisis, and again praised him for his role in the downfall of communism. At a well-attended press briefing, Gen. Haig said opposing the values espoused at the conference “would be like being against motherhood.”
True Father talked about the significance of Blessing 360 million couples with great excitement.
“Three hundred and sixty million couples! To think that we will soon have blessed 360 million couples! You cannot deny that God is with us in this task. If I were to explain this in detail, I would have to go into the secrets of the New and Old Testaments and all the historical theological systems. Once you heard those things, your ears would be opened and you would develop an insight into the providential future.”
