Hands of the Cause of God Cannot Appoint a Guardian

by / on behalf of Universal House of Justice

In his email letter of 2 April 2015, Mr. Don Calkins draws attention to a message, dated 31 May 1960, attributed to the Hands of the Cause of God in the Western Hemisphere that addresses “all National Assemblies in the Western Hemisphere” and “all Members of the Auxiliary Boards”.^[1] Mr. Calkins notes that this message states that Mason Remey was shown a “photostatic copy” of a letter of Shoghi Effendi asserting that the Hands of the Cause of God do not have the prerogative to choose a Guardian. In this regard, he asks whether the mentioned letter of Shoghi Effendi is unpublished and inquires whether a copy can be made available to him. The Research Department offers the following response.

As to Mr. Calkins’ question regarding a letter from Shoghi Effendi stating that the Hands of the Cause of God are not entitled to choose a Guardian, it has not been possible to ascertain which letter is being referenced. We are aware, however, of an unpublished letter dated 17 June 1933, written on the Guardian’s behalf to an individual believer partly in response to a question on whether the body of the Hands of the Cause have any authority to suggest or appoint another Guardian. In this letter Shoghi Effendi states, “The Hands of the Cause of God have to ratify the appointment made by the Guardian. They may suggest, but cannot appoint.”

¹ Mr. Calkins provides the following source: see: h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/MSS/F-J/H/Hands/Hands_Letters1958-1960.pdf [also online at bahai-library.com/true_grossman_sears_remey].