Wedding anniversary for Milingo: “My twenty years of love with Maria Sung”

Porcelain wedding for Emmanuel Milingo and Maria Sung. The former archbishop of Lusaka and the Korean acupuncturist got married exactly twenty years ago in a hotel in New York, with the Moon rite. “After twenty years we are still happily together – says Milingo from Seoul in an interview with Adnkronos -. We are very happy to have reached this milestone”. No regrets for the couple who shook the Vatican twenty years ago, who in every way tried to bring the ‘lost sheep’ back into the Church. “There is a lot of affection and love between me and Maria”, says Milingo. “We are happy,” remarks Sung. The couple is flattered that their wedding anniversary has been remembered in Italy. “Thank you very much for remembering us”, Milingo is keen to underline. The former archbishop is now ninety years old and, as he himself says, he will “hardly” be able to return to Rome. But his thoughts and prayers for Pope Francis are never lacking: “I always pray for him. I have great affection for Francis and I hope that the Lord will always keep him healthy in his responsibilities”. The couple looks ahead and hearing them nothing will be able to put a spanner in the works of their solid relationship: “We will stay together until the end of our days”, renews the promise Milingo. The same words that years ago the former monsignor and great exorcist confided to his friend Don Sergio Mercanzin, director of Ecumenical Russia, to whom he said he would be “eternally grateful to Maria Sung”. As is well known, the Church tried in every way to prevent the forbidden marriage which became known by intercepting a letter-confession that the then archbishop sent to a nun confessing her intention to marry. As Fr Mercanzin reminds the Adnkronos today, Cardinal Pio Laghi, friend of Bush and the then Vatican representative to the UN, Msgr. Martino to make Milingo retrace his steps. Every attempt was unsuccessful and Milingo and Maria Sung got married in the Big Apple with the Moon rite. The wedding provoked the reaction of the Pope who excommunicated Milingo. There is now a serious project on his life to make a documentary in four episodes to tell the spy story of the great exorcist, who was also a great friend of Lucio Dalla, who promoted his song ‘Gubudu Gubudu’. Milingo also made an appearance in Sanremo with his Bongos. (By Elena Davolio)