What follows is my provisional translation (in other words, not official or authorized; see here for more) of a talk given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Port Sa‘íd, Egypt. An authorized typescript of the original text is available on the Bahá’í Reference Library here. Although the original text does not mention the date the talk was given, Mírzá Maḥmúd Zarqání has quoted a few remarks from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on some of the same subjects in his entry for 23 June 1913 (Kitáb-i-Badáyi‘u’l-Áthár, vol. 2, p. 360), which is set in Port Sa‘íd, so that is probably when this talk was given. This also suggests that Zarqání may have been the one who transcribed the original text of this talk.
Another talk given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Port Sa‘íd
At a time when the government ruled with tyranny, the Covenant-breakers were a hindrance, and problems both internal and external were present—it was in the midst of all this turmoil that I built[1] the Shrine of the Báb in such a way that few buildings of its firmness are seen in that region. It was an exceedingly difficult undertaking, one that seemed absolutely impossible to accomplish. Constant telegrams from ʻAbdu’l-Ḥamíd[2] would arrive, asking, “What is happening?”
I came here strictly for your sakes. I wished to visit certain places in those parts;[3] I had not finished my business. My desire was to go to Berlin and Italy, especially Rome, which is the center of the Papacy.[4] Setting all this aside, I came to see you. My intention was to make a journey to Rome and appear at the center of the Papacy. After the Pope himself, there are ranks occupied by those who serve under him. They are called “cardinals,” who are like the ministers of the Pope. One of these cardinals was in America and he hounded me very much. He made remarks at gatherings and assemblages,[5] but I would say nothing in response. People would come and tell me that he had said such and such; I would remain silent and give no reply.
I was even invited by the Consul General of Persia[6] in New York, one of the prominent individuals of that place who has a grand hotel where the kings of various nations and functionaries of different governments take up lodging. As a result of meeting with me, he was deeply stirred and roused, and a measure of affection was instilled within him. He was with me on the verge of my departure and requested that I go to his hotel, but I refused. The aforementioned cardinal was staying at his hotel, and when he left, he acted in a way indicating that he would never return.[7]
This episode passed, and in the course of my journey toward California, I reached the city of Denver, where a new Catholic church had just finished being built.[8] The aforementioned cardinal went there to officially open it. When I arrived there, some people said that a most magnificent display had taken place. “What has happened?” I asked. They replied, “A cardinal came and dedicated the church. With a jewel-studded crown on his head, golden brocades on his body, and a scepter of gold in his hand, he arrived with the utmost grandeur, majesty, and glory, entering the church as banners were being hoisted before him and wondrously strange ceremonies were conducted. While the cardinal was walking in the street with this splendor, fifteen thousand spectators prostrated themselves.”
At any rate, I was going to speak at a gathering when I came to that city and saw that there was an uproar. I asked, “What is going on?” They replied, “A religious display was held. A cardinal has come on behalf of the Pope and opened a new church.” They then gave an account of what happened, and I said, “Very good! It was an excellent display, for it was exactly the same one that Christ held. Christ held a religious display in a bygone age, and now this cardinal has held another display. Both were religious displays, but there is a ‘minor’ difference between them, which is that one of these displays was held at a church with consummate majesty and grandeur, whereas the display of Christ was held on the cross in the utmost humiliation, torment, and cruelty. In one of these displays, the cardinal had a jewel-studded crown on his head, while in the other display, Christ wore a crown of thorns. One of these displays was held with the greatest festivity and magnificence, the other with abject oppression. In one of these displays, fifteen thousand people fell prostrate on the ground; in the other, the Apostles were subjected to taunting, cursing, and reviling. In one display, the ‘honorable’ cardinal was dressed in silken clothing, while in the other, Christ was naked on the gallows. In one of these displays, the cardinal had a scepter of gold in his hand; in the other display, Christ did not have so much as a plank of wood. This is the difference between these two religious displays.”
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[1] Which is to say that ʻAbdu’l-Bahá planned and supervised the construction of the Shrine of the Báb.
[2] ʻAbdu’l-Ḥamíd II, who reigned as the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1876 to 1909.
[3] Meaning the West, or perhaps Western Europe more specifically.
[4] Vatican City.
[5] “This Cardinal had heard about the Master and had spoken about the false Christ, thus he was often mentioned by the Master in His meetings” (Mírzá Maḥmúd Zarqání, Maḥmúd’s Diary, 29 September 1912). The Cardinal seems to have been John Murphy Farley of New York, according to this page.
[6] H.H. Topakyan.
[7] Perhaps because the cardinal felt that even a hotel as grand as that one was beneath him.
[8] ʻAbduʼl-Bahá is describing the dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, Colorado, “which occurred on 27 October 1912” and “in which 20,000 people participated” (Jan Jasion, ʻAbduʼl-Bahá in France, p. 490, note 1167).
A typescript of the original Persian text of this talk appears below, with a few punctuation and vowel marks I have added to facilitate reading.
Adib Masumian 