Seonghwa Ceremony is not the moment of grief but of joy

Press Release

Tongil Group

www.tongilgroup.org

 “Seonghwa Ceremony is not the moment of grief but of joy. At the moment of death, our spirits should feel more excited and thrilled than a newlywed bride feels when she goes to her groom’s home for the first time.”

Unification church names funeral “Seonghwa Ceremony”. If human certainly know the spiritual world and didn’t fall, he or she will realize that death is not the end of life but the rebirth of the new world which is the spiritual world. Therefore, members of Unification church are aware that Seonghwa ceremony is not the ceremony of grief and separation but the ceremony of farewell celebrating for rebirth of the new world. 
According to the Divine Principle, which is the doctrine of Unification Church, human is in womb of Mother for 10 months as the formation stage. After that, human lives on earth for about 100 years as the growth stage. Finally, human can live eternally in the spiritual world after his or her death as the completion stage. Just as all families congratulate the birth of baby, Unification church members decorate the white ribbons and colorful flowers thinking that death is holy and noble.
According to teaching of Rev. Moon, the moment when we ends our earthly life and go to heaven is the moment of coming back to God. He explained “Seonghwa Ceremony is not the moment of grief but of joy. It is the moment of feeling more thrilled and exciting than the newlywed bride fees in the wedding day.”
Unification church used the terminology of Seonghwa Ceremony from November of 2011. Before that time, death was called by Seunghwa and funeral by Seunghwa Ceremony. In that time, death was not disappointment or despair but the take-off stage through change. That was why Rev. Moon taught that we should not be afraid of death. Seunghwa ceremony is the process of going into the better world. Therefore, we don’t need to feel sorrow. We should weep tears of joy.  
Rev. Moon proclaimed ‘Providence of restoration has perfected, completed and concluded’ finally through “Cosmic Assembly for the Settlement of the True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humankind and for the Proclamation of the Word by God's Substantial Self”. He accomplished all missions and responsibilities that God gave to him and he must do on earth. On the foundation of this kind of victory, Seunghwa Ceremony is changed into Seonghwa Ceremony. 
In that day, Rev. Moon emphasized, “The word ‘death’ is sacred. It is not a synonym for sadness and suffering. The moment we enter the spirit world should be a time that we enter a world of joy and victory with the fruits born of our lives on earth. It is a time for those of us remaining on earth to send off the departed with joy. It should be a time for great celebration. We should be shedding tears of joy instead of tears of sadness.”

 Ho-yeul An, Tongil Foundation Public Relations Department

(02-3279-6356, 010-8626-1910)