Tablet to the Pope
First presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #40
Bosch Bahá'í School: California, USA
May 23–26, 2002
(see list of papers from #40)
During the last years of Edirne period and early years of Akká era, Bahá'u'lláh's public declaration of His station to the rulers and monarchs of the time attained its zenith. Never before, during any of the past dispensations, were the leaders of the time addressed with such formidable power and authority and with such magnitude and diversity of argument. As Guardian states: "Emperors, kings and princes, chancellors and ministers, the Pope himself, priests, monks and philosophers, the exponents of learning, parliamentarians and deputies, the rich ones of the earth, the followers of all religions, and the people of Baha — all are brought within the purview of the Author of these Messages, and receive, each according to their merits, the counsels and admonitions they deserve. No less amazing is the diversity of the subjects touched upon in these Tablets. The transcendent majesty and unity of an unknowable and unapproachable God is extolled, and the oneness of His Messengers proclaimed and emphasized. The uniqueness, the universality and potentialities of the Bahá'í Faith are stressed, and the purpose and character of the Bábí Revelation unfolded."
The most influential of all the leaders of the earth, especially in the religious spheres, at the time, was the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Pius IX, who had near a third of the world population under his authoritative rule and binding command. In his historic message to the Pope, Bahá'u'lláh, in unambiguous terms declares his station and his revelation. While the strength of Pope's earthly dominion is decaying, Bahá'u'lláh offers the New Gospel of hope in terms of Biblical terminologies and prophesies. Bahá'u'lláh, in the Tablet addressed to Pius IX makes extensive use of expressions such as "Return of The Son in the full Glory of the Father", "Return of the Lord of Lords", and refers to Himself as "The King of Revelation", "He Who has come down from Heaven", and "Him Who is His Most Great Name". He counsels the Pope not to allow his focus on appearance of the Holy Text bar him from understanding the inner meaning of the scripture and recognizing the reality of the Lord of the heavens and the earth.
The present discussion includes a brief review of the text of the Tablet, and the importance of this Tablet as it relates to the worldwide societal transformations of the time, with a focus on the character of the recipient of the Tablet, Pope Pius IX.
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