March 30. On this date in 1957, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum wrote "People who have withdrawn from the Cause because they no longer feel that they can support its Teachings and Institutions sincerely, are not Covenant-breakers--they are non-Bahá'ís and should just be treated as such. Only those who ally themselves actively with known enemies of the Faith who are Covenant-breakers, and who attack the Faith in the same spirit as these people, can be considered, themselves, to be Covenant-breakers."
Haifa, Israel,
March 30, 1957
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada.
The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer certain matters raised in your recent correspondence with him.
He is delighted to see that substantial progress is being made in Samoa. It is too early for him to say under whose administrative jurisdiction the Samoan Bahá'ís will come in the future. It will probably be Australia, but at the present time, these things have not been definitely settled.
DEFINITION OF COVENANT-BREAKING
People who have withdrawn from the Cause because they no longer feel that they can support its Teachings and Institutions sincerely, are not Covenant-breakers--they are non-Bahá'ís and should just be treated as such. Only those who ally themselves actively with known enemies of the Faith who are Covenant-breakers, and who attack the Faith in the same spirit as these people, can be considered, themselves, to be Covenant-breakers. As you know, up to the present time, no one has been permitted to pronounce anybody a Covenant-breakers but the Guardian himself.
With warm Bahá'í greetings, and assuring you all of his prayers for the success of your important work,
R. RABBANI
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