Our beloved elder brother, friend and colleague, Mr. Masatoshi Abe, has ascended after a long illness. His Seonghwa Ceremony was held on Monday, July 7 in Japan. The Europe and Middle East region was represented at the service by Mr. Hod Ben Zwi, former National Leader of FFWPU Israel, and Dr. Katsumi Ohtsuka, FFWPU EUME Cheoneuiwon chair (2021-2025) Mr. Abe is survived by his daughter Yoko, and son Aancod, and will surely now be reunited with his wife, Mrs. Chizuko Abe, who ascended in 2022. The Abes were blessed as part of the 43 couples in 1969, almost sixty years ago.
Those of us who lived in the United Kingdom will always remember Mr. Abe and Mrs. Abe as dedicated and serious disciples of True Parents. They took over UK National Leadership after the demoralizing loss of the Daily Mail libel case, and steered the movement through the following governmental investigations that might have caused us to lose our charitable status and much more. With an emphasis on prayer, tradition, sacrifice, and yes, indemnity, they led our UK movement with great passion and intensity.
Yet there was another light-hearted side to Mr. Abe as well. He was keen on physical as well as spiritual adventure and challenge. Many were the nights that we went out to Primrose Hill to pray all night long as we overlooked London. I well remember several successful fishing trips together with other leaders, and there was the very memorable occasion when we all climbed Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, building a great team spirit along the way. Mr. Abe was always interested in the latest news, politics, the economy and history, and loved sincere discussion and debate, and completely mastered English to do so.
When in the 1990s Mr. Abe fell quite seriously ill and was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital near Lancaster Gate, his wife prescribed him a spartan spiritual diet of prayer and reading Divine Principle and True Parents’ speeches and absolutely nothing else. I remember paying a quiet visit to him one afternoon with one other brother, and smuggling in a copy of the Economist, which he loved to read, and the Asahi Shimbun, the only Japanese newspaper we can find. He looked up from his pillow with real gratitude.
After concluding their service in the United Kingdom, the Abes became National Messiahs to Israel, and I met them there again on many occasions. In the winter of 2003, we held the successful “Coronation of Jesus” Rally in Jerusalem’s Independence Park under his watch. Even though it was the time of the second Intifada, we marched together with hundreds of Christian ministers and other overseas leaders all the way through the old city to the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock and back to the park, utterly determined to see victory.
Rest in peace, Mr. Abe!
Michael Balcomb
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