Photo:Against the backdrop of the sunset, the Bell of World Peace and Love rang in front of the largest Orthodox church on the island, Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, blessing the world.
July 27, 2024
In July 2024, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men and president of the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL), led the Love of the World Cultural Goodwill Group on a visit to their 104th country, Greece. On July 5, on the picturesque island of Santorini, the Bell of World Peace and Love rang in front of the famous Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, sending blessings to people around the world. Tourists from all over the globe witnessed this historic moment. The volunteers from the goodwill group met with the mayor of Santorini, Anastasios-Nikolaos Zorzos, to exchange ideas and experiences of love and peace. The bell-ringing ceremony, organized by Christos Mendrinos, Vice President of Santorini and a member of the Santorini Island Tourism Committee, was held in the evening to bring prosperity, sustainability, and peace to Santorini, Greece, and the world.
Photo:Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, leads the Love of the World Cultural Goodwill Group to visit the Santorini City Hall.
Santorini is famous for its white buildings, blue roofs, and beautiful sunsets over the Aegean Sea. It is not only a dream travel destination for many, it also holds significant historical and cultural importance. Mayor Zorzos expressed his gratitude for the goodwill group’s visit. Dr. Hong shared with the mayor his experiences of leading Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) and FOWPAL members to invite leaders from various nations to make peace wishes and ring the Bell of World Peace and Love. This initiative has led several leaders to take concrete actions to promote world peace and prevent or stop international conflicts. Dr. Hong also introduced the history and significance of the United Nations International Day of Conscience and invited Mayor Zorzos to endorse the Declaration of World Day of the Power of Hope.
Photo:Dr. Hong presents the Compass Clock of Conscience to the Mayor of Santorini, Anastasios-Nikolaos Zorzos.
At 8:30 PM that evening, against the backdrop of the sunset, the Bell of World Peace and Love rang in front of the largest Orthodox church on the island, Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral. Many tourists from around the world witnessed this meaningful historical moment. The Deputy Mayor of Santorini, Eleftherios Tzouros, and Vice President of Santorini, Christos Mendrinos also attended the event. Dr. Hong rang the bell three times in the square in front of the cathedral, praying for the increasingly challenging living conditions caused by global heatwaves, wildfires in Greece, and ongoing regional conflicts. He wished for favorable weather, harmony on earth, peace and stability for all nations, peace among people, sustainable development, and shared prosperity and coexistence.
Photo:Deputy Mayor of Santorini, Eleftherios Tzouros (right), and Vice President of Santorini, Christos Mendrinos (left), attend the bell-ringing ceremony and take a photo with Dr. Hong.
Vice President Christos Mendrinos encouraged the goodwill group to continue promoting love and peace around the world. He expressed his hope that people everywhere would become more conscientious in these turbulent times. He stated that with wars occurring around us and across the globe, it is imperative to stop these conflicts and recognize that peace, love, inner calm, and self-awareness are most important. Because if we love one another, we can survive and live longer lives.
Photo:Dr. Hong rings the bell in the square in front of Santorini’s largest orthodox church, praying for Santorini, Greece, and the world.
Deputy Mayor Eleftherios Tzouros appreciated the goodwill group's visit to Santorini, emphasizing the need for hope and peace globally. He was impressed by the martial arts, dance, and singing performances, seeing them for the first time, and expressed his hope that people everywhere could experience them.
Photo：Volunteers from the goodwill group perform as angels of love with white wings, bringing blessings to Santorini.
Mike Manley, a tourist from England, expressed that the goodwill group promoting love and peace around the world is fantastic. He said that with so many problems in the world, love and peace goes a long way. He believes that having a conscience means thinking about doing the right thing for other people, putting others before oneself, and spreading love and peace to everyone.
Photo：Goodwill group volunteers share the culture of love and peace with people from various countries.
Emily Wright and Joy Hefferman, tourists from the United States, were captivated by the performance of the goodwill group. Emily praised the group, saying, "You guys did so amazing. I felt really touched by your performance. And I could tell that you guys really love love and peace, and you care about a lot. I think you guys should keep going and you got this!" Joy Hefferman noted that the performers worked really hard to achieve this goal, saying, "Because of this performance, it would help a lot of people. Because it touched my heart, touched her heart, and touched everybody's heart.”
Photo：The Love of the World Cultural Goodwill Group visited Greece, the 104th country, preparing for the bell-ringing ceremony in front of the famous Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral.
Greece is the birthplace of the Olympics, and in mid-April, the island of Santorini welcomed the Olympic flame for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Santorini served as a key stop in the torch relay, with the flame also passing by the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral. Volunteer Anna Chao, a junior high school teacher, believed that the Olympics inspire people through the athlete’s relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering spirit, which is similar to Dr. Hong’s exemplary leadership in promoting love and peace. From Thessaly to Mykonos to Santorini, she saw the elderly Dr. Hong tirelessly sharing the message of love, peace, and conscience with one official after another.