21 Surreal Photos From A 2013 Mass Wedding
1. Thousands of Unification Church members,
known as “Moonies,” got married in a mass wedding in
South Korea Sunday — the first since the death of
controversial church founder Sun Myung Moon.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
2. Rev. Moon’s 70-year-old widow, Hak Ja
Han, presided over the “Blessing Ceremony.” Men and
women from around the world traveled to Cheongshim Peace World
Centre in Gapyeong, about 37 miles northeast of Seoul, to have
their union blessed by “Mother Moon
KIM JAE-HWAN / AFP / Getty Images
3. Mass weddings and arranged marriages have
always been a staple of the church, which teaches that romantic
love leads to sexual promiscuity, mismatched couples, and
dysfunctional societies.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
4. Although matchmaking responsibilities have
shifted to parents in recent years, many couples still choose to
have the church arrange their marriages. Of the followers married
on Sunday, 400 were officially paired mere days before the
ceremony.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
5. Those who choose to be matched by the church
must confirm under oath that they are virgins, and after their
wedding the couple must refrain from sexual relations for a minimum
of 40 days.
Lee Jin-man / AP
6. The church’s preference for
cross-cultural pairs means that newlyweds will often share no
common language.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
7. “I’ve been waiting for him all
my life,” a bride from Trinidad and Tobago told AFP when
asked about her Polish husband. “Language isn’t such an
issue. We’re connected by the church.”
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
8. “We struggle a little to communicate
right now,” an American groom agreed, referring to his
Japanese bride. “We see it as an exciting challenge and proof
of our faith.”
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
9. An additional 12,000 couples around the
world participated in the ceremony via a live internet feed.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
10. Members of the Unification Church
acknowledge their “True Mother,” Hak Ja Han, who
officiated the ceremony.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
11. The Unification Church believes that
through the “Blessing Ceremony,” couples are cleansed
of humanity’s sin, as are their future children. It can be
both a wedding and a rededication of vows.
Lee Jin-man / AP
12. The ceremony consists of a recitation of
four vows, an exchanging of rings, and a blessing with holy water.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
13.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
14. Each couple vows to live a life of purity,
follow the example set by Rev. Moon and his wife (who are referred
to as the “True Family”), raise children in the church,
and become “an ideal family which contributes to world
peace.”
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
[Source:
Unification.org]
15.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
16.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
17. Hak Ja Han, “Mother Moon,”
sprinkles the church’s holy water onto newly married couples.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
18. Newlyweds celebrate at the end of the
ceremony.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
19.
Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
20.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
21. Some couples celebrate in different ways
than others.
Lee Jin-man / AP