Pepe Remey
Joseph Pepe Remey (February 13, 1922–April 11, 1994) was believed to be the second Aghsan Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith by the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant, although he never publicly accepted this role. He was the adopted son of Charles Mason Remey, who was believed to be the successor to the Guardian Shoghi Effendi by some Bahá'í divisions.
Pepe was bequeathed "all things tangible and intangible" in his father Mason's Last Will and Testament. It is believed by some of the Bahá'ís who followed Mason that this entitlement in Mason's Will was Mason’s final appointment for his successor affectively voiding previous appointments.
Background
Joseph (Giuseppe) Pepe, Jr. was born on February 13, 1922 in Newark, New Jersey son of Giuseppe Pepe Sr. and Anna Rayca. Pepe, as he liked to be called, was a teacher by profession, and an avid lover of the arts, music and culture. He was first introduced to the Bahá'í faith in the 1950’s when he attended several Bahá'í feasts. It was at one of these Bahá'í gatherings in Italy that he first met Mason Remey that was to become his adoptive father.
Pepe served Mason loyally as Mason’s son and secretary until his passing in 1974. After the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, Pepe traveled with Mason to the United States in 1960, and then subsequently moved with Mason to Florence, Italy. He was adopted by Mason as his only son and heir in the year 1963. This was filed in the Court of Appeal in Florence, Italy in 1964. Pepe is buried alongside his father Mason in a beautifully sculpted white marble double-vaulted tomb of the Classic Style in the city of Florence, Italy.
Guardianship Claims
Pepe is accepted by the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant as the successor Guardian to Mason Remey [1]. Pepe put himself forward publicly as reluctant to come forward to take an active position, explaining in several letters that it was more important that the true body of believers be raised up, than that the head should come forward without a body.
- "It is so much more urgent for the Bahá'í 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." (Pepe to Jensen, 24 July 1975)
Several websites maintain documentation of letters allegedly written between Pepe and Leland Jensen, Neal Chase, and other BUPC members, showing Pepe’s opinion about his role as the successor of Mason Remey. The following excerpts were taken from the BUPC website
- "If Mason had been recognized by the masses of believers as both spiritual and administrative head of the Faith then I would naturally have fallen in line as his successor. I have encouraged confused individuals to turn to Donald Harvey (as you pointed out). I have never considered Donald the spiritual successor to Bahá'u'lláh. (Pepe to Leland Jensen, 18 January 1994)
- "Pepe told me that the one thing that got through to him in all the recent correspondence was that Mason Remey would have liked what (was) presented about him being the Aghsan. Pepe told me that if Mason was an Aghsan, so was he himself, and then naturally all the others could be put aside for the guardianship mentioning Donald Harvey in this light. He said words to the effect that if Mason Remey was an Aghsan, so was he, and therefore he would of course be the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith...he would have no other recourse than to accept his guardianship." (Transcript of a Phone Conversation of Pepe to a believer, Sept. 4, 1990)
- "Mason was confident that in time the masses of Believers would come to the conclusion that they NEEDED and WANTED a Guardian. Had they done so during his lifetime, I should not have objected to being his successor. Mason would have delighted in (the) conclusion regarding the Afnan and Aghsan branches and if it is true that Mason was, in fact, the adopted Aghsan son of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and if that fact were to be generally accepted, then I should not be able to refuse being his only possible successor....The fact will always remain that IF THE Bahá'í FAITH MUST HAVE A GUARDIAN TO PROGRESS, then ONLY MASON REMEY COULD HAVE FULFILLED THAT ROLE, and Mason Remey intended me as his successor..." (Pepe, 25 July 1991. Personal names omitted for privacy)
- "From what Mason told me about Shoghi Effendi's experience as Guardian and how it affected him...plus what I experienced in the first person regarding what the Guardianship did to Mason, believe me, I wouldn't wish that role on my worst enemy. Nevertheless, if I were convinced that coming forth and taking a definite stand as Mason Remey's successor would result in peace and harmony amongst all the Bahá'ís, I should not hesitate one minute to do so...Mason awaited the day when the masses of Bahá'ís (now termed sans-guardian Bahá'ís) would WANT a Guardian. Should the time come when those masses should turn to me, I could NOT refuse to fulfil the role, for not to do so would be a violation of the faith and trust that Mason Remey placed in me.... I am dedicated to that end." (Pepe, 9 May 1992. Personal names omitted for privacy) Personal Letters of Pepe Remey
In 2001, Neal Chase claimed that Pepe, before his death in 1994, had adopted and appointed him (Chase) as his only son to continue the Aghsan line, Bahá'u'lláh's successors in the line of King David, as his appointed successor to the guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith. Chase used this claim to justify being president of the Second International Bahá'í Council, which was disputed.
Pepe's letters were also critical of Leland Jensen's claim of being the "Establisher of the Bahá'í Faith", and actually drove about a dozen people into leaving the BUPC. [2]
Notability and Contributions
Pepe’s widely recognized contribution to the enduring historical record of the Bahá'í Faith concerns his specific efforts and focus on preserving and rehabilitating the good name of his father Mason Remey. His efforts focused on validating that in fact his father Mason was the true Guardian after Shoghi Effendi, and not a Covenant-breaker as most Bahá'ís consider him.
Anyone and everyone that supported Mason as the true Guardian was supported by Pepe of which he contributed a tremendous amount of personal and historical information pertaining to the Bahá'í Faith.
Pepe was an expert source and eye witness authority pertaining to the history of the Faith, and the role of his father Mason. Other scholars of the Bahá'í Faith, such as, Brent M. Reed, has also commented on Pepe’s role in this as well: “letters from Mason Remey and Giuseppe Pepe, critical to understanding what really happened during the mid-1960 period of Mason's Guardianship.” (Reed, 3/11/02)
Sources for Pepe’s contributions are further documented in:
- “Charles Mason Remey and the Bahá'í Faith” (2003) by Francis C. Spataro
- “Mason Remey and Those Who Followed Him” (1997 updated 2002)
- “The Most Mighty Document” (1979) by Leland Jensen which is recorded in:
- “The Bahá'í Faith: A Historical Bibliography” (1985) by Joel Bjorling
- “Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Babi and Bahá'í Faith” (1990) by William P. Collins
- The Babi and Bahá'í Religions: An Annotated Bibliography ( 2005-6) by Denis MacEoin
See also
References
- Spataro,Francis C. (2003). Charles Mason Remey and the Bahá'í Faith, Tover Publications, Queens, NY 11427-2116. 2003 ISBN 0-9671656-3-6.
External links
- Biography of Mason Remey - by Brent Mathieu.
- The Most Mighty Document - By Leland Jensen, (1996)
- Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant - Official website.
- Mason Remey and Those Who Followed Him - Document issued by the Universal House of Justice.