Since the Universal
House of Justice came into being in 1963, its primary concern at the World
Centre of the Faith has been with the basic, minimum essentials of undertaking
repairs to the Holy Places; establishing its administrative offices;
reorganizing the accommodation of pilgrims; gathering its staff, developing a
suitable housing programme for the Hands of the Cause and their families, the
members of the House of Justice and their families, and all other believers
serving at the World Centre; formulating plans for the expansion of the Gardens
and taking the first steps in their initiation; collating the Sacred Texts and
the letters of Shoghi Effendi and indexing them; and fostering relations with
the Government of the State of Israel and with the United Nations.
The increased burden
which these essential steps have imposed upon the International Fund we have
endeavoured to keep at a minimum so that, in the early stages of the Plan, the
maximum resources could be utilized in the teaching work throughout the world.
However, we must now
embark upon certain major undertakings vital to the future progress of the
Cause. Extensive beautification of the sacred endowments surrounding the Holy
Shrines in Bahji and Haifa, as well as at the site of the future Mashriqu'l-
Adhkar on Mount Carmel must be undertaken, both for its own sake and for the
protection of these lands which are situated within the boundaries of rapidly
expanding cities; the work of classifying and codifying the Holy Texts must be
urgently prosecuted; the arrangements for pilgrimage may have to be greatly
expanded to provide for the ever-increasing number of applications from East
and West; the Intercontinental Conferences and the International Convention
must be held and paid for; and the auxiliary institutions of the Universal
House of Justice must begin to unfold so that the ever-growing and increasingly
complex work of the World Centre of the Faith may continue to be efficiently
discharged. Moreover, the vital assistance given by the International Fund to
the work of the Hands of the Cause and National Spiritual Assemblies must be
maintained.
- The Universal House
of Justice (From a message dated 7 March 1967 addressed to all National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)