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The Custodians is terminology in the Bahá'í Faith, which refers to nine Hands of the Cause assigned specifically to work at the Bahá'í World Centre top assist Shoghi Effendi as head of the religion, referred to as ''Guardian''. After his death they were chosen by secret ballot, with all living Hands of the Cause voting. The position of the Custodians was referred to in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá: :"The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor." ::(`Abdu'l-Bahá, ''The Will And Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá'', (p. 12 )) The Hands of the Cause are also referred to by Shoghi Effendi as the "Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth". (Shoghi Effendi, ''Messages to the Bahá'í World - 1950-1957'', p. 127) ==Ministry 1957 - 1963== In 1957 after the unexpected death of Shoghi Effendi while he was travelling to Britain, the leadership of the religion passed from Shoghi Effendi to the Custodians, who were entrusted with the protection of the Bahá'í Faith, until the Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963. This period is referred to as the Ministry of the Custodians. The nine Hands of the Cause who constituted the Custodians of the Bahá'í Faith were selected by a unanimous proclamation by the whole body of the Hands of the Cause in `Akká, Israel, shortly after Shoghi Effendi died. In a statement released by the complete body of the Hands of the Cause they wrote: :We the undersigned: :in our capacity as Hands of the Cause of God duly nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, assembled this 25th of November, 1957 at the Bahá'í World Centre and constituting the supreme body of the Bahá'í World Community :DO HEREBY UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVE AND PROCLAIM AS FOLLOWS: :WHEREAS THE Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, died in London (England) on the 4th of November, 1957, without having appointed his successor; :AND WHEREAS it is now fallen upon us as Chief Stewards of the Bahá'í World Faith to preserve the unity, the security and the development of the Bahá'í World Community and all its institutions; :AND WHEREAS in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá) "the Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God"; 30 :We nominate and appoint from our own number to act on our behalf as the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith ::Ruhiyyih Rabbani ::Charles Mason Remey ::Amelia E. Collins ::Leroy C. Ioas ::Hasan Balyuzi ::`Alí-Akbar Furútan ::Jalal Khazeh ::Paul E. Haney ::Adelbert Muhlschlegel :to exercise -- subject to such directions and decisions as may be given from time to time by us as the Chief Stewards of the Bahá'í World Faith -- all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Bahá'í World Faith, and this until such time as the Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and elected in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, may otherwise determine. :(as follows ) :Ruhiyyih Rabbani, Zikrullah Khadem, M.B. (Banani ), Charles Mason Remey,Ali Mohammad Varqa, William Sears, Amelia E. Collins, T. Samandari, John Robarts, Leroy C. Ioas, Djalal Khazeh, Enoch Olinga, Ugo Giachery, John Ferraby, Agnes B. Alexander, Hasan M. Balyuzi, Paul E. Haney, H. Collis Featherstone, Shoaullah Alai, Horace Holley, Clara Dunn, Ali Akbar Furutan, Abul Qasim F. Teherani, Dr. R. Mohajer, Hermann Grossmann, Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel ::(Custodians, ''Ministry of the Custodians'', p. 28) In 1959 Mason Remey and Hasan Balyuzi found that they could no longer serve in a permanent capacity as Custodian of the Faith at the Bahá'í World Centre, and thus John Ferraby and Horace Holley were selected to replace them as Custodians. Then in 1960 after the death of Horace Holley, William Sears was elected to replace him and serve as a Custodian. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Custodians」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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