Dr. H. Auckbaraullee
I just watched the very sad news about Rev. Moon on CNN. During this deeply sorrowful moment, we wanted to share our grieving moments with his families. May God bless him for his love for humanity.
Dr. H. Auckbaraullee
UPF Chairman, Toronto, Canada
Hon. David Kilgour
Dear family of Reverend Dr. Sun Myung Moon, please accept my sympathy on the passing of Rev. Moon. I hope the poem which follows, by Henry Van Dyke, will bring some comfort to all of you. Certainly it did to my own family at such painful times in our past.
THE SHIP
"I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her sails
to the morning breeze and starts for
the blue ocean. She is an object
of beauty and strength and I watch
her until at length she hands like
a speck of white cloud just where
the sea and sky come down to mingle
with each other. Then someone at my
side says, 'there, she's gone'.
'Gone where?' Gone from my sight ...
that is all. She is as large in
mast and hull and spar as she was
when she left my side, and just as
able to bear her load of living
freight to the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in
her; and just at that moment when
someone at my side says, 'there she's
gone', there are other eyes watching
her coming, and other voices ready
to take up the glad shout, 'here
she comes!'. And this is dying.
David Kilgour
Former Member of Parliament, Canada
Former Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa and for Asia-Pacific
Rev. Darryl Gregory Gray
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalm 1
It is with deep and prayerful regret that I offer words of love and condolence from the Imani Family and Full Gospel Church here in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the passing to the spirit world of a great and beloved person. Human words could never express the contribution towards building bridges of peace that "Father Moon" has made to the world. His accomplishments are beyond most human comparison, explanation, or even understanding. The effects of his works of love may never be realized by us in this age, but in ages to come humankind will be the better because God sent Father Moon as His servant to humanity.
Father Moon's personal guidance and words were a great influence to me in the founding of our Christian non-denominational religious community. His life story has inspired me and scores international, national, and local leaders from all walks of life to be better. His teachings have been part of the foundation of our mission to serve and live for the sake of others in a spirit of true love.
He understood the critical importance of the community of faith in an age of noncommittal, anonymous religions. Father Moon's teachings will be proven, with time and through the continuation of his life's work through his devoted wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, and beloved son, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, to be undeniably the true vertical expression of God. Father Moon conducted his life at the highest level; he had the heart of God. His legacy is clear.
He taught that love is not an option, that service is not an option but a joyful responsibility to pour out from our very beings. He was faithful to wife, family, friends, and humanity even unto death. His promise that he made to Jesus in the mountains of North Korea, he kept. He didn't look for excuses to get out of it and did not go back; and "the two became one flesh."
He did not pretend to be flawless, but his lack of perfection did not keep him from giving to the world his best. For those of us who were blessed by his presence and his life, this is what we will remember. For those of us who were brought out of darkness by his light, this is what we will hold on to. For those of us who believe that God lived in and through him, this is what will move us closer to the spirit world, where we will sit in his presence.
To the Unification Church, he is not dead; he is alive! His dying did not destroy him, and it will not destroy you either. For Father Moon, this is his beginning, his passage. He leaves behind in the family of the Unification Church a tremendous inheritance and sons and daughters unscarred. Go, Father Moon. We who believed will surely follow you. Go in peace and love.
Rev. Darryl Gregory Gray
Founder and Senior Pastor, Imani Family and Full Gospel Church, Montreal, Canada
Rabbi Richard Gamboa
I just heard the news of Father Moon's transition. Having been a student of him and having met him personally to the point of shaking hands puts me in the position of child mourning the death of his father. The Messiah is not leaving with Reverend Moon; on the contrary, the Messiah continues with me, with you, with all of us. Father Moon left us a messianic pattern to match or exceed; therefore, we cannot lower the level he showed us. Alav HaShalom!
Rabbi Richard Gamboa
Bogota, Colombia
Anto Raukas
Please accept my sincere condolence over the loss of the founder of the Unification Church, one of the greatest men of the contemporary world, Rev. Sun Myung Moon. His death was painful for all humanity, but especially for his family and friends. Rev. Moon said to us that we must learn to work together, recognizing our common ground. It is my personal hope, obviously shared by millions, that we all should follow his wise advice.
Anto Raukas
Honored Scientist of Europe
Member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
Dr. Fasil Nahum
It was sad to hear of the passing away of the great Rev. Moon, who was a unique father to so many around the world. It is amazing how one man can change the lives of so many for the better as he did. His spirit will continue to transform the world. May his family and friends and all who have him close at heart find consolation in the knowledge that his spirit lives forever.
Dr. Fasil Nahum
Minister, Special Advisor to Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Gayatri Jat
I was so sorry to hear of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon's death, and I would like to extend my deepest condolences on behalf of the peace-loving family members of UPF. He will be sadly missed by all of us who knew and worked with him. Dr. Moon set the standard of a peace lover. His life was solid dedication to service, and his devotion to ethics and integrity made him a peace leader. Please accept my deepest sympathies and those of our peace lovers at this sorrowful time, and pass on our sentiments to his family and friends. Let them know that this global peacemaker was held in high regard by all who knew him. My salute to a great peace leader of the world.
Gayatri Jat
India
Dr. Sivathanu Pillai
I was extremely saddened and shocked to hear about the sad demise of our beloved leader, philosopher, and friend Dr. Sun Myung Moon. I still remember the inspiring speech Dr. Moon delivered in 2007, when I participated in the International Leadership Conference in Seoul, Korea. It happened in the Peace Palace. He is an embodiment of love, compassion, family values, and One Family under God. We lost a great leader and powerful voice who led us and showed us the right path to peace, eternity, and love. As Ambassadors for Peace, we must invest every ounce of our blood to inculcate his spirit and his ideals and to spread the message across the globe. May his soul rest in peace and guide us in times of unrest and lack of family values and make the world a better place to live. My heartfelt condolences to every member of the great family and the members of his bereaved family.
Dr. Sivathanu Pillai
Distinguished Scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Ministry of Defence, Republic of India
Ika Kuntari
Dear Mother Moon and family, I was deeply saddened by the death of Father Moon. This must be very difficult for you and family. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Father Moon was such a kind person, as a leader, father, and husband, who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Father Moon has passed on to a better place now. You can take comfort and strength from the wonderful family you and he had together. I know their love will get you through this sad time. May God bless you and your family during this time and always.
Ika Kuntari
Ambassador for Peace, Indonesia
Leo A.M. Hutagalung
My prayers for the family of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. I honor his memory and feel a deep sadness at his passing. May God almighty bless all his works and preserve his course in the future. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Leo A.M. Hutagalung, St., Ir., MSCE., CPA., CBM
HKBP Kebayoran Baru
Ambassador for Peace, UPF-Indonesia
Dr. Makarim Wibisono
On behalf of my family and of all of us at the ASEAN Foundation, I wish to express my sincerest condolences at the passing of Reverend Dr. Sun Myung Moon. Dr. Moon was an exemplary figure on the world stage, a leader who has continued to become the inspiration for the work done by the ASEAN Foundation in helping to establish everlasting peace and prosperity for the peoples of Southeast Asia. Beating the odds in surviving unimaginable hardships early in his life, Dr. Moon went on to forge great success in business. However, his impact was felt most forcefully in charting tangible progress in peace as the staunch clarion uniting the peoples and religions of the world through love.
When I served as President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council back in the 1990s, I had the privileged opportunity to visit Dr. Moon in Korea, where we shared many experiences and ideas about pushing for peace and prosperity in regions afflicted by hardships and conflict. I still deeply recall his energy, enthusiasm, the wisdom of his approach, and his comprehensive view of the world. To me, Dr. Moon will forever be regarded as a distinguished force in the history of world politics. His vision, leadership, and firm commitment awed, provoked, but more importantly, moved the world into action.
For this, we shall very much miss Dr. Moon. May he be united with the Almighty, and may Dr. Moon's family be blessed with steadfast courage and the full realization that Dr. Moon is happy where he is as they deal with the loss of a great person whom they very much love but who is loved by the world as well.
Ambassador Dr. Makarim Wibisono
Executive Director
ASEAN Foundation
Rabbi Yitzhak Bar Dea
When the news regarding Rev. Moon's departure to Heaven reached us, both my wife and I felt that a huge star in the sky of humanity stopped gleaming. A great man is someone who thinks big; indeed, he was a thinker on a global level. Placed first among giants, Rev. Moon was always able to make his ideas come true. Even though I held some different views, I could not but admire the power of his tender and loving heart towards mankind and his outstanding spirit. In particular I respected his contribution to universal development projects and his emphasis on strengthening the family as the school of love, a noble ideal that he role modeled. He worked on a global scale towards bringing peace between nations, countries, religions, beliefs, and faiths. Furthermore, he contributed to cultural exchanges and many more great deeds that the world should acknowledge, appreciate, and express deep gratitude for. Indeed the world has lost a great star, the star of conscience.
Rabbi Yitzhak Bar Dea
Former Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan, Israel
Masahisa Hayashi
I express the deepest condolence at the news of the death of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. He survived many life-threatening incidents and showed superhuman physical and mental strength at the conference in Nigeria last year, which I also attended. I have received direct personal teachings from Rev. Moon at various leadership training conferences since I first met him in 1974 when he gave a speech on “Living for the Sake of Others” at the Day of Hope Dinner at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
His visions have been too farsighted and large in scale for the understanding of the general public, particularly in Japan, and his whole life has been a series of hard struggles. His visions and teachings provide the optimum solutions to many serious challenges existing in the world and Japan including world peace, families, and character formation. His existence has been exactly that of Messiah. He had extraordinary and diverse abilities and could have been a superstar as a statesman, administrator, military commander, businessman, or scholar. As an Ambassador for Peace, I pledge to contribute to the realization of the ideals that Rev. Moon upheld even after his death.
Masahisa Hayash
iMember, UPF Global Peace Counci
lProfessor Emeritus, Waseda University
Director, Institute for Peace Policies, Japan
Hon. Kasaine Nkaisserry
It is with profound shock that Helen and I have learned about the passing on of our beloved Father Moon. Our thoughts are with Mother Moon and her entire family, the UPF fraternity, and the Korean people. May the good Lord rest his soul in peace.
Hon. Kasaine Nkaisserry
Ret. Major General, Kenya
Dr. Leons Bojars
We offer our condolences to all Ambassadors for Peace! We offer our condolences to the family of the late Dr. Sun Myung Moon, his wife, children, grandchildren, and relatives! The great man, Dr. Sun Myung, left this world on the day of the most beneficial impact of the planet Venus, symbolizing affection, September 3. In our memory he will always remain a paragon of sharp insight, tireless buoyancy, personal charm, cheerful disposition, artistic taste, spiritual beauty, love, and heavenly commitment. He created the true teaching aimed at promoting unity, cooperation, and harmonious relations between religions throughout the world.
On his lifelong way to realize his lofty ideals he overcame numerous tribulations and hardships. The results of Dr. Sun Myung Moon’s immense titanic global activity will forever remain in the world's history. The Lord God instructed him to create a movement for establishing world peace and lead it with wisdom. The intrinsic appeal of Dr. Sun Myung Moon’s personality revealed itself especially in close contact; he never imposed on others the many spiritual gifts the Lord endowed him with. Among his special qualities was unwavering devotion not only to his compatriots, the people of Korea, but to the entire population of the earth.
Thanks to his strong faith, Dr. Sun Myung Moon could lead his organization in promoting spiritual unity in his fatherland and the whole world. We are praying for the peaceful repose of Dr. Sun Myung Moon. His memory will remain eternally in the hearts of all the peoples of the world!
Dr. Leons Bojars
President, UPF-Latvia
Yang Berhormat Tan Sri Dr, Koh Tsu Koon
I join the world community of peace lovers in paying tribute to one of humanity’s greatest sons and champions of global unity. The Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, affectionately known as “Father Moon,” devoted almost 76 years of his life since the age of 16 in a tireless effort to bring all men and women together in promoting love and universal peace. We in Malaysia are blessed to have seen his vision blossom and bear fruit in the lives of many who faithfully pursue the family ethics of true love and the global ethics of interfaith dialogue for understanding and cross-cultural harmony.
As a gifted spiritual leader, Rev. Moon and his beloved wife, Mother Moon, lived by the motto that they coined – "One family under God" regardless of race or religion. From this motto, he derived the mantra of "Living for the sake of others" that impelled him to devote his life towards getting people around the world together, through dozens of organizations that yearly promote dialogue and conciliation across nations, ethnic divisions, cultural barriers, and religious differences. Rev. Moon would want all men and women of goodwill to continue their peace efforts, and this we shall certainly do. In this hour of grief, let us remember a memorable epithet that Rev. Dr. Moon inscribed many years ago: "The hope of all ages is a unified world of peace.” And let us all encourage Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon to build upon the foundation work successfully completed by her beloved husband. May he rest in peace.
Yang Berhormat Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia
Ariane Oxenham
It is with great regret and sorrow that we have learned of the demise of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. He will be remembered as a man of great vision. His work to create a world of peace through his global network, rallying friends and supporters of various religions, races, and cultures has been an extraordinary accomplishment. His teachings have also revolutionized many areas and paved the way to make the world a better place. He will be sorely missed. We wish to convey to Mrs. Moon and all members of your family our deepest and most sincere condolences.
Ariane Oxenham
Mayor, Municipal Council of Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius
Sarmila Adhikari
We are very shocked to hear the news of the demise of Mr. Sun Myung Moon, Founder of the Universal Peace Federation.
Sarmila Adhikari
Chair, Women and Environment Development Association, Nepal
Franklin E. van Kappen
The news of Rev. Moon's passing away has filled my heart with great sadness. He dedicated his live to promote peace in this world and touched many hearts. Now he can rest.
Senator Franklin E. van Kappen
Major-General, Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Ret.)
Jose and Gina de Venecia
We are saddened by the news of the passing of our beloved Reverend Moon, who for many years was a big part of our lives as a father, friend, and adviser. He will forever be remembered by us, and the members of the Unification Church worldwide, as the True Father, who selflessly dedicated six decades of his life to tireless efforts to bring about global peace.
Though he may no longer be with us, he has successfully planted the seeds of his mission to end human suffering in the hearts and minds of his congregation, so that his teachings may live on. This is the mark of a true leader. We are indeed blessed to have been a part of True Father's life. His confidence in his vision was truly inspiring. Most people go where the path may lead. He went where there was none, and left a trail for everyone to follow. Reverend Moon has earned his place in history, but more importantly he has earned a permanent place in the hearts of millions of people whose lives he has touched and changed. With tears in our eyes, and with longing in our hearts, we bid our Papa Moon goodbye.
Hon. Jose de Venecia
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Philippines
Hon. Gina de Venecia
Member, House of Representatives, Philippines