Via Malenchini 6 - Florence, Italy
Thursday, 24 July, 1975
My dear Leland Jensen:
I have just finished reading your letter of July 19th and must confess, what it contained troubled me not a little for if there is anything on this earth I do not want, it is to be responsible in any way at all in adding further turmoil and anxieties to the Baha'i friends over the question of successor to the Guardianship.
On the other hand, I must be honest and admit to you (as I have not done except in one other case) that when Mr. Remey took me into his confidence after Shoghi Effendi's death, he told me things he did not reveal to any other person and I knew all that he was doing about making his own Proclamation, etc. long before it was issued. I was not a declared Baha'i at that time but enjoyed his complete confidence. When he asked me to make my home with him in order to care for him and to manage things for him, I was totally and absolutely convinced of his Mission in the Baha'i Faith and gave my wholehearted support and embraced the Baha'i Faith fully. Mason's dream was that I would succeed him even though I have always refused to accept such a thought from him. He made his appointment of Joel in a seal letter only because he was afraid that he might die unexpectedly. Then later, you will remember, he appointed some of the elders who might take over the Guardianship should the Great Global Catastrophe come about and people would be dispersed for some time. In order to secure the continuation of the Guardianship, he made sure there would be several possible successors. You see, Dr. Jensen, Mason was more interested in securing the successorship than of the successor himself. The conditions under which he lived forced him to make the many steps he took and thus a great confusion ensued as a result. However, Donald Harvey has received from me a statement in Mason's hand in which he repudiated his appointment of Joel as his successor back in 1963.... that is soon after we met with Joel here. I will not go into the reasons Mason gave me. Many things are best left unsaid. At that time, he listed three persons as his successor.......I will not tell you the sequence of the three names....but I will tell you that my name appeared on that list along with Donald Harvey's and Joel's (Joel's name was the last one on the list, so that confirms that even back in 1963 Mason had changed his mind about Joel. I tell you all this only to give my own reasons why I cannot nor ever can in the future accept Joel as Mason's successor.
I do accept Donald Harvey as Mason's successor because I, myself, have considered myself quite out of the Baha'i activities. Spiritually, I confess, I have never given up the Baha'i Faith. I practice no other religion nor have I since first accepting the Baha'i Teachings through Mason Remey. However, in dealing with Baha'is in general, I have become so very disillusioned that I have taken the advice of 'Abdu'l-Baha' who recommended that we go without religion rather than part-take in strife and dissentions, etc. You know that quotation far better then I do, I'm sure.
It is a wonderful thing, what you feel about yourself. Your convictions have always been a great marvel to me. If I could have had a vision (as Mason had) or believe in myself because of some sign from God.....as you believe in yourself due to the many signs you have received, perhaps it would be an easy matter for me to fall into the position you suggested for me.......but, being always honest with myself above all, I must tell you that I have never had any sign whatsoever and I personally do not feel I have such a mission. In speaking with Donald Harvey (he has spent several week-ends with me), he has convinced me that he feels his mission as Mason's successor. I know him (as I knew Mason) perhaps better than any one else living and he is truly a spiritually remarkable person. He has all the wonderful qualities Mason possessed.....and perhaps more so for he comes from another background and is of another generation.
cont'd
1
With all of the past problems involved in the question of Guardianship and successor, etc., you will understand why my wishes are to not want to add further confusion to the already confused believers. As it seems to me, this is a troublesome time and even the true living guardian today would be in a very awkward position to do anything substantial about present problems in the Faith. Therefore, to my mind, the best thing is to concentrate on the successorship rather than the successor.....as evidently Mason wished. It is so much more urgent for the Baha'i Faith today to achieve that UNITY which would permit a spiritually healthy and sound BODY of believers to come into play for what good is a HEAD without a functioning BODY? We have already seen during Mason's Guardianship how poorly that works. Mason was a marvelous person. Not a day goes by that I do not talk to him. I feel his presence always and I miss him very very much. If only the friends could find the UNITY....even a very small group would be sufficient. That small group, rallied about Donald Harvey would prove something to the world. It matters not whether Donald or I or anyone else ought to be the Guardian.....what matters in the Eyes of God, I believe is that mankind give some proof to God that they are prepared to assume the very difficult but significant role required of them by God before He can bring about the conditions to establish His Kingdom on Earth as Promised.
I repeat, my dear Dr. Jensen; it has never dawned upon me to assume such a spiritually important role as Guardian (even when Mason tried many times to discuss the matter). The fact is that I am neither prepared mentally or spiritually to assume such a role. It is way beyond me. So many people have wanted to grab at the occasion to become Guardian. Frankly, I envy them. If I felt any such desires, you may be certain that I, too, would push for myself in that direction and, in fact, there is readily at hand for me any number of reasons to do so.......but, again, I repeat, I just do not feel that way. You will, I'm sure, understand; - especially since your own self-convictions will help you to understand how I feel....not having such self-convictions of my own. In other words, Dr. Jensen, could you possibly carry on the work you are doing without those self-convictions? Then, you will understand why I, myself, cannot accept your very generous ideas for me.
I'm sorry there has been such a confusion about Mason's medallions. The one he always wore around his neck, I myself am wearing at this moment. I treasure that. He removed it from his own neck several weeks before dying. It seemed to burden him to wear it. Yet, he would never be without it in previous times. One of the larger medalions he had made (Silver with gold-plate) I placed in his coffin along with a small vial of attar of roses and a Baha'i prayer book and a photograph of the two of us. It is so sad even to remember! The other ones (I believe I have a photograph of Mason wearing the one you were particularly interested in).....are surely amongst the things he left me. There are several religious, patriotic and social orders he belonged to and he had several medals, etc. If that is the medal you refer to, he never told me to give it to anyone. That one or anything else. I did ask him to give his Baha'i ring to Jacques Soghomonian because Jacques was ever so generous with us during the last years of Mason's life and our needs grew beyond our means. Mason would probably not have made that jesture but I asked him to do so and he agreed and during Jacques's last visit Mason himself put his Baha'i ring on Jacque's finger (but that had no meaning other than simply showing our appreciation for Jacque's generosity. I promised Mason I would have another ring made up for him and in fact, I did, but he never did get to wear it.
Again, dear Dr. Jensen.....please let us not add more confusion if possible. You are a very reasonable person and I'm sure you will understand the many things that I have not written in this letter. As to my visit, unfortunately, things have not progressed as I had originally planned and I will not want leave here until things have been put in very good order. Then, I will be ready to take up my own life again.
Faithfully,
Pepe
Source: Dave Cornell, http://web.archive.org/web/20020713073636/www.lelandjensen.net/html/pepe/750724doc.htm