We have your letter of October 9, 1971 informing us of your
action to deprive... of his voting rights for violation of Bahá'í marriage law
in that he married without having consent of all living parents. It is noted at
he has a civil ceremony and a Catholic ceremony. The question you have asked
deals with possible restoration of his voting rights.
In cases involving only the civil ceremony, voting rights
may be restored if the Assembly feels that the believer is truly repentant and
wishes to comply with the Bahá'í law previously broken. The civil marriage
ceremony itself is not contrary to Bahá'í law, and therefore the dissolution of
the civil marriage is not a pre- requisite to restoration of voting rights. In
such cases the Bahá'í marriage ceremony may take place if the parents now give
their consent to the marriage and the Assembly is satisfied that the consent
has been genuinely and freely given and is not conditioned by the fact that the
parties have already had a civil ceremony on the condition that it be
performed.
Should ... apply for restoration of his voting rights, and
should your Assembly feel that he is truly repentant, you should offer
assistance in arranging the other details including helping him to obtain the
consent of parents.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 18 November 1971 to the
National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador; compilation: ‘Lights
of Guidance’)
