Orthodox Bahá'í Faith

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The Orthodox Bahá'í Faith is a Bahá'í division which formed circa 1961 as the Orthodox Bahá'ís Under the Hereditary Guardianship which was founded by Mason Remey. It was in 1969 that it came under the leadership of Joel Marangella, who claimed to be the legitimate successor to Mason Remey, who had himself separated from the Bahá'í Faith in 1960. The basis of the dispute is over the question of legitimacy and identity of the Bahá'í Guardian, a term referring to the appointed head of the religion, an executive hereditary office held by Shoghi Effendi from 1921 to 1957.

Other than on the matter of leadership and organization, there are few differences between the orthodox and mainstream Bahá'ís in matters of doctrine. As a group who believe that Mason Remey was the second Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, they are considered heretical covenant-breakers by the majority of Bahá'ís who follow the leadership of the Universal House of Justice ^[1]. Remey himself declared that the larger group of Bahá'ís were themselves "violators" in a statement to his followers in 1960^[2].

Although no membership data has ever been made public by Orthodox sources, at least one source estimated them at no more than 100 members as of 1988.^[3] Websites claiming to represent the Orthodox community indicate followers in the United States and India. Joel Marangella himself resides in Perth, Australia.^[4]

1 Nature of the Dispute
2 Announcement of the Division
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Nature of the Dispute

Main article: Bahá'í divisions

During the time immediately following the unexpected death of Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, Charles Mason Remey declared himself the successor to Shoghi Effendi in his Proclamation in 1960^[5]. In this Proclamation he commanded, as Guardian, that the plans to elect the Universal House of Justice by the methods proposed by the Hands of the Cause cease immediately. Remey had signed the unanimous statement of the Hands which stated that no document appointing a successor Guardian had been found, and that no such appointment of a blood relative was possible^[6]. He maintained afterward that he signed it in good conscience and could sign it again for the statements didn't contradict his later statements that he was Guardian by virtue of being appointed President of the International Bahá'í Council.

The first proclamation was sent from the first conclave of the Hands, gathered in Bahjí, "To the Bahá'ís of East and West" announcing that, as "The Aghsan (branches) one and all are either dead or have been declared violators of the Covenant by the Guardian", it was apparent "that no successor to Shoghi Effendi could have been appointed by him...." (Branches is the term used in the Bahá'í Faith for the descendants of Bahá'u'lláh.)

The second proclamation from the conclave of the Hands called on the believers to unite in completing the Guardian's Ten Year Crusade. The Hands pointed out that, in due course, the Bahá'í world would elect "the Universal House of Justice, that Supreme Body upon which infallibility, as the Master's Testament assures us, is divinely conferred: When that divinely ordained Body comes into existence, all the conditions of the Faith can be examined anew and the measures necessary for its future operation determined in consultation with the Hands of the Cause." Mason Remey again joined his fellow Hands in signing this second formal statement that there was no blood relative successor to Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Cause of God.

The Orthodox Bahá'ís acknowledge his signing the document. They believe that even the present Orthodox Guardian could have signed it, since they claim that it stated only that Shoghi Effendi had not appointed a successor by a Will and Testament, and that there were no living bloodline relatives he could have appointed. The larger Bahá'í Faith group maintains that the actual text of the proclamation, however, which Remey signed, makes the broad statement that "no successor to Shoghi Effendi could have been appointed by him" and does not limit itself either in the manner the designation would have been left (such as by allowing for an appointment outside of a Will and Testament) nor does it allow for a nonrelative to be appointed (see [5] for the text of this statement and see the text beginning at [6] for the Hands' further expanding on this position including their indicating that "aghsan" could only apply to male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh ). The Orthodox maintain a different position concerning the same documents. (Concerning the Hands interpretation of "Branch' see [7] and for explanation of why any Guardian could have signed the statements indicated see [8])

The belief as to whether there was - or could be - another living Guardian, and whether the Universal House of Justice could properly function without a living Guardian was the basis for the division which followed.

[edit] Announcement of the Division

Main article: Mason Remey

In 1960 Remey made a public declaration that he was the successor Guardian to Shoghi Effendi^[7]. For this he was unanimously expelled by the remaining Hands of the Cause. While the majority of Bahá'ís followed the Hands, a small group of individuals followed Mason Remey. These became known as Orthodox Bahá'ís Under the Hereditary Guardianship.

According to the members of the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith, Mason Remey appointed Joel Bray Marangella to succeed him as Guardian when he activated the Second International Bahá'í Council with Marangella as its appointed President in October 1965. The council was soon de-activated. Marangella announced his appointment in 1969 while Remey was still alive.

[edit] References

^ Published by the Universal House of Justice [1]
^ Proclamation of Mason Remey [2]
^ THE COVENANT, Moojan Momen. Quoting Chicago Tribune, 10 June 1988, section 1, p. 9
^ See this message posted 30 July, 2006
^ Proclamation of Mason Remey [3]
^ Ministry of the Custodians, pp. 28-30
^ Proclamation of Mason Remey [4]