When Right

Goes Wrong
By Russ Bellant National Catholic Reporter. November 18, 1988

The Cast:
Ralph Martin, Steven Clark, Tom Monoghan Umberto Belli, the Nicaruguan Contras, the Roman Curia, Big Buisness and the CIA

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Martin began to introduce changes and impose procedures that would expand and grow to this day. They created "coordinators" (leaders), district subgroups called "subcommunities" (later called "districts") and a formal initiation Precess for membership. Each member was expected to make a "public commitment" to the group, entering into a new "covenarrt." Leaders thus began to describe the word of God ax a "covenant Christian ~ IllTi.-:trwtic reneural, OTl(' the more community." '[ . ::!rtn ifi'stu.tions o(ChristiunilY ijifl("{' "From that point onward," says former :;;. 1\ '(!lIC(lfI council, came alive 'in the member Tom Yoder, "coordinators had .' " i:cII Stoff's ill the late 1960s. It is a joyincreasing control. By mid1972, they ,J/ I -vncrnent u:huse adherents pro)' and had total control." Other former mem-:: ~ ::nd inn)He the fXJu'.'CTO{GrXi'S Spirit bers corroborate this (most informants in ,,1 , t'cling and holiness. this story asked to remain anonymous for ;":1(' Word O(C;;x1II.'Q:> one of the earliest l' -) charismatic groups. The record fear of unspecified retribution). Ongoing explorations by Martin and ~h j .:, iuncecer, thut its members speak Clark had led them toward this tighter .n ~'ifj('r('nt tongues and pursue higher authority. Around 1972, they were intro: -: (:Iiulls than charismatics generally. i t!v, orrr the past 21 ycars, the ~'v'();d duced to the practice of "shepherding" or "discipleship." This is essentially a doc; IIi has deviated from its origins to distrine of control that causes members to all die classic dements ofa cult. become obedient in ever larger areas of J': ;w:': a/so created a far-flung network their lives, . i, e aim is to SOU? the world. To do this. With it went a growing lexicon of ter". 'embers feel, it must first do battle minologies defining authority. The Won! ;'/: ~ the u-orld's enemies and eventually of God developed layers of authority. '111 (ll'er them. To this end, it has ai Members submit control of their lives to !tself Leith conservatice elements in a "shepherd," who in turn is submitted to . ;i~ ! .S. church and in the Roman curia, a higher "shepherd," who again is sub, /, 1 ri~hlll!ing activists that include mitted to yet a higher "shepherd," At the ':i i rugu an contras, their U.5. supportpinnacle was Clark (today it's Martin), :he CIA and coneercative business the "overall head coordinator." The st.ruc.:..-'I.L'e Ii'ith (I ioidc range of radical agcnturebns been compared by some to the '/(1

(Continued on next page) lh I\uSS BELLANT

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De-tr-oit :CTEVE CLARK and Ralph Martin t; two busy young Christians in the worked at the Newman Center of Michigan State University in East ~, TheY""""""Iso'biithe see- l . -t.c i.u of the Cursillo movement. They imraersed themselves in the charismatic rev i~al that hit Duquesne and Notre Dame universities in 1967. They were fired from the Newman Ceder when the chaplain discovered thty were also involved with the fundamemalist Protestant Campus Crusade tor Christ. Iu November 1967, Clark and Martin called a meeting in their apartment of fewer than a dozen people, from which the ,Word of God charismatic group heg:in. It grew to more than 100 people in the first four months and 1,000 in seven vears. There are now more than 1,600 adr: 1, members. Their sway, however, exceed-, these numbers. Through a sub,,;djry organization, the Sword of the Spi-i t, they control an international network of an estimated 20,000 members, who/toe tentacles in turn reach and affect the 'spiritual and even the social and pol.ncal lives of millions of people. I'ress accounts and fanner members describe the Word of God in the late I%0, as unstructured, open, egalitarian and loose-knit, focused on a weekly cha nsrnatic prayer meeting. Most early male members, including leaders Martin and Clark, were conscientious objectors to the Vietnam war. A 1977 letter to members described the early period as "limited mostly to finding a personal relauonship with tbe Lord and sharing wit h others in charismatic worship. The main opportunities to serve were in thirlh"S such as setting up chairs for pra ser meetings. sharing words of encoumgement with one another and local evangelizing." For three years, Won! of God activities were conducted in this informal fashion. In September 1970, however, Clark and
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Secretive Puebla Institute has ties toCI~reentras;-conservative bishops

'Cloak-and-dagger' style marks so-called human rights group
By RUSS BEUANT
Special to the National Catholic Reporter

Detroit THE PUEBLA INSTITUTE promotes itself as a Catholic human-rights organization, Since the day it opened, however, it has operated in a curiously cloak-anddagger way, One reason may be that its ambitions are higher than its stated aims, reaching out to engage such diverse players as CIA operatives and contra leaders, conservative Catholic prelates and rich businessmen who prefer to keep BOrneof their business secret. Another reason may be the fact that Puebla is a front, an "action center," for the Sword of the Spirit, which in turn is directed by the Won! of God. a charismatic group with the characteristics of a cult (see above story). The president of the Puebla Institute, since its 1982 opening near Ann Arbor, Mich., has been Humberto Belli, a Nicaraguan who had previously been editorial-page editor of Managua's rightwingLa Prensa newspaper. The original directors of Puebla were all Word of God members, as was Belli's aide, Joe Davis. Those involved went to sometimes absurd lengths to keep the Puebla-Won! of God connection secret.

Davis, for example, denied that Belli lived in the house of Won! of God member Jim Berlucci. Since this reporter had already met Belli's wife and daughter (who did not pretend to hide their identities) at the door, Davis, who had pledged to remain "single in the Lord" in a Word of God subgroup, claimed the wife and daughter were his. This shroud of secrecy is spread over every maneuver of Puebla and its parent organizations.

In January 1983, a group of directors of the FDN and CIA agents ... discussed the idea of fLinding Mr. Belli to write a book to discredit the Sandinista government.
Belli's hook One of the first Puebla projects was publication of, Belli's first book, Nicaragua: Christians Under Fire. No printer or publisher is identified in the book. According to former anti-Sandinista National Democratic Front (FDN) leader Edgar Chamorro, the CIA was involved in

the funding, editing, production and distribution of the book. In a letter to NCR on the origins of Belli's book, Chamorro states: "In January 1983, a group of directors of the FDN and CIA agents who (had) been meeting for the purposes of organization and development of projects discussed the idea of funding Mr. Belli to write a book ... to discredit the Sandinista governrnent . .. We proposed that Mr. Belli's work should be funded, and the CIA gave the money." In an interview, Chamorro said the book was printed at a CIA printer in Miami, although he wasn't able to remember its name, In his letter, he added that "the CIA also paid for the translations to put it into English and other languages.ln a meeting (at which) I was present, the budget was approved and discussed with a public relations finn (If Miami, which was going to do the work," In separate interviews last year, Belli and Davis denied Chamorro's assertions. Belli said he has receipts to prove he paid for the book's printing but declined to provide such documents or name the printer, insisting it was a "private" matter. In June 1985, Belli told the Minneapolis Star and Tribune he "paid a company in Michigan for printing the book," A December 1984 letter sent by Davis to the Canadian branch of .Iesus to the Communist World, a Ll.Si-based anticommunist group, says, however. that "the 400 books for the Canadian gover-nment will be shipped directly from the printer in Miami." (Continued
011

page 201

National Catholic Reporter

November18.'lQOO

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accompanied by calls for "spiritual warfare," according to Word of God documents and for-mer members. The roles of men and women ",:,erc redefined. dcnYl11g women leadership positions except OVH other women. "Manly character" was promoted. Members began seeing the outside world as hostile and threatening. Signs of a cult Many of the characteristics associated with cults can already be found in the growing movement: esoteric language and titles; secrecy; exclusivity; declarelions of war on some vague enemy; personal messages from a higher source. For instance, Martin, speaking at a charismatic event in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in 1975, predicted the destruction of the Catholic church. Leaders in the Word of God-connected communities later heard Martin and others talk of impending disasters and the need to "gather an army.TThose not under the leadership

ln u 1~':)7 lIwding, Won! uf{;nd HWIll' bcrs were encou ragcd "to set:' oursclves ns a nation {t:mpt~a!'is in or'iginai I.~ Thcv wurt- 1.t,IJ, "For us, :r1~/I. there is no dist inc. t ion between "miht.ary.' 'civilian' and 'spiritual' hadL,rship J'(ople say war is hell, but in this G1Se war is

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-In the eight and a half years I was in the Word of God: says Yoder, "I witnessed, or heard stories from those involved, of situations that most people would consider bizarre. Some examples are: arranged marriages. expulsion due to unapproved marriages, people compelled to live in houses not of their choosing, a man f(.!'"cing discipline on a woman by tying her up, and members submitting advance schedules to their 'head' on a weekly or monthly basis for approval. What they call 'headship' or 'pastoral leadership' goes far beyond what you'd find even in a cloistered monastery or in military life."

heaven." In Februurv 19K}, a directive informed members of ::o:lsic emergency prepar-anons we intend to pursue." Included were lists of supplies and instructions for surviving an unspecified emergcncv for 30 days. No reasons fur this were discussed in the dirt-active. A church of their own? The \Vord or C(ld, approximately 50 percent of whose members are from Catholic backgrounds. contends it is not a separate church, but rather works within various denominations to foster "renewal." . However. several aspects of the Word of GOldand the Sword of the Spirit communities indicate the structure and practice of an independent church: Tithing is virtually demanded of
members.

Many of the characteristics associated with cults can already be toundin the growing movement: esoteric language and titles; secrecy; exclusivity; declaration of war on some vague enemy; personal messages from a higher source.
A 1984 booklet titled Patterns of ChrisIi"" Community, written by Clark, afFirms this rigidity: "The elders (leaders) can determine which community activities the individual members should take part in and what services they should perform for the body even if the call implies a significant change in the personal life of the individualor he. family," ln the early 1970s; contacts were made by Clark and Martin with the leaders of Christian Growth Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. That pentecostal group subsequently embraoed shepherding! discipleship practice. Without the knowledge of the Word of God members, Martin and Clark began meeting the "Fort Lauderdale Five: who would become controversial in pentecostal and evangelical circles for their advocacy of shepherding. By 1974, the FortLauderdale group, made up of Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince, Don Basham and Em Baxter, joined with Clark and Martin to fonn a secret group called "The Council." Minutes from their first meeting state, "We will not make a public announcement about our commitment tog-ether," By the end of 1975, the minutes state: "The Lord is giving us a work that many in the church do not understand: bringing believers together in a committed, disciplined, submitted relationship to be i-t network of bodies that can be a servant to God in the world. That is our primary call." Later minutes show Clark and Martin committed to "their present responsibiIitie ..in such a way as to support the council and its stated objectives," including planning "national and world strategy." Fred Bedford, a former associate of the Fort Lauderdale group, recalled arrangi"l( a meeting of the council in 1982. Council members Simpson and Mumford an: still active in Word of God activities. In the mid-1970s, leaders of the Word of <.;00 set about changing the outlook of members through teachings and prophetic utterances, Apocalyptic warnings influence of the Word of God were considered predominantly evil, according to former members, Much of this was fully articulated in a 1981. "training course,' In one section Clark states, "We are already at war, so we have been attacked, Therefore, we can strike out on an offensive - we should fight this war aggressively." AlthoUgh Clark says "Satan began" the war, he had identified humanism and leftist political ideologies as concrete enemies, In spite of the "satanic" nature of these enemies, Clark offers that "we can have strategic truces with them," according to a training-course document. In the Word of God, secrecy is a valued part of the warfare method, Clark told members his warfare plan "does not have to be open warfare, but can be covert." He adds, "If we become openly aggressive (open warfare), , ,then we would come under direct attack of the media and other major anti-Christian groups." Members were also told, "We want to stem the tide of evil in the church." The training course was given mainly to the Word of God members who had already made a total commitment to the group. They were sworn to keep the contents of the course secret from anyone but those taking the course with them, including "underway" members (those going through the two- to three-year process of initiation) and even other full members. They were even told to keep the promise of secrecy a secret, -Additionally, those given the course were pledged to a "Statement of Commitment" that said in part: We are ready for every sacrifice, even death, the Lord honors us by calling us to die for him or our brothers. We will be loyal to our commanders, knowing that they are com-. mitted to defend and provide for our homes and families. We will serve where they direct us and in the way they direct us. We will keep our plans and movements hidden from the enemy and his agents.

There is <1 unique, authoritative doctrine. Special groups have been formed similar to religious orders. Independent fellowships have been created that parallel denominational churches. It has its own quasi-sacramental system.

Tithing Members are expected to donate 10 percent of their income to the \Vord of God, and not to any other church they may attend. To this end, members are given fonns to report their annual income to the Word of God office. An additional one percent is also expected for "outreaches" of Sword of tile Spirit. Doctrine While the Word of God says it has no exclusive doctrine of its own, there is, in fact, a substantial body of extra-Catholic beliefs that members are required to accept. The ultimate authority and source for the Word of God belief system is the coordinators, This elaborate doctrine is taught to initiates as a condition of membership. An ongoing series of events. such .as "Life in the Spirit Seminars," conveys these ideas and directions to the membership. It takes several years to complete all the required courses. . Although the Bible is cited as authority, great emphasis is placed on prophecies received by the leaders. A confidential 1977 memo to members states: "The Lord spoke again to the coordinators," and, "The immediate response on the part of the coordinators has been to commit ourselves to lead, as GOd's people, away from every worldly influence." Word of God members were told that a prophecy indicated they were a special, chosen people. God was quoted as saying, "I and those who are with me call you 'the Word of God' because you are my Word now to the whole face of the earth." And again, "I have called you and I have created you not for your own sake, but for the sake of all those whom I would gather to myself. 1am going to give you my Spirit in a way in which I have never given my Spirit to any people. I am going to make you my people in a way in which I have never before made any people my people." A series of prophecies was proclaimed to the Word of God members to make their group a "bulwark" against the coming apocalypse. These prophecies helped form the basis for changing the Word of God into a more structured. controlled group.

members were told their ronly purpose in heed God's call: '" want everperson (in the Word of Godl to be obscssed .. a desire to see my salvaith tion.. . Iwant you to long for it, to hunge-r and thirst for it, to pant after my po w er." Reflecting: the more intense internal life emerging in the Word of God, the coordinators said God told them, 1 am going to discipline you.. .1 am going It, bring your lives into order. I am going t{, discipline you so that you look like Illy sons and daughters." From the content of these message's. an elaborate set of teachings evolved on. among other things, the need for memo bers to submit their lives to their coerdinators, for men to begin wearing man, t les and women veils. Former members say the emphasibegan changing from God to community One woman who had been in the \Vord 01 God eight years said, "l left because 'community' replaced God. 'Community' waidentified with Jesus." "It was done little by little by little," says the former member, who requested anonymity. "That's the reason so many swallowed this junk, why they submit to this bondage." The Word of God can be compared to a church also in that it claims for itself spiritual and moral authority over its members. In his Patterns of Christian Community, Clark says coordinators "have the final authority in the communi, ty. . Nothing can be said to be an action of the community without their approval."
life" was to

Quasi-religious orders The beginnings of quasi-religious orders also suggest a parallel to established church institutions. There are special groups within the Word of God for those who have made a lifelong commitment to stay "single for the Lord." About IOU members, including Clark, have made such a pledge to be celibate "servants of

Members are expected to donate 10percent of their income to the Word of God, and not to any other church they may attend. To this end, members are given forms to report their annual income to the Word of God office.
the Word: after a title used by the Bruderhoff, an Austrian ana baptist Sect Clark visited in the mid-1970s. A small group of women form the "Servants of God's Love." Ceremonies are conducted for those making this lifetime pledge. They tend to live in separate group households [hat maintain a strict regimen of activities beyond their Word of God duties. Former members characterize them as "quasi-religious orders."

Super-denominational authority Four fellowships provide denominational alternatives to the established churches. Christ the King is recognized by the Lansing diocese as a Catholic parish, although it has no building of its own. Its priest, Father Frank McGrath, is a Word of God member. The Word of God's Lutheran fellowship is seeking affiliation with the Missouri Synod. Presbyterian and nondenominational pen-. tecostal fellowships were also created by the Word of God. Within these fellowships, such parochial functions as rnar-" riages and baptisms are performed.

The Word of God group conducts other quasi-sacraments, such as a 'Lord's Day Observance' every Saturday as a kind of eucharist; 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit'; confessions without clergy; exorcisms; and anointing of the sick by elders.
The Word of God group conducts other quasi-sacraments, such as 8 "Lord's Day Observance," conducted every Saturday as a kind of eucharist; a "Baptism in the Holy Spirit," in which the initiation to charismatic practices begins; confessions in group or private settings without

clergy; exorcisms; and anointing of the sick by the elders. Exorcisms - called "deliverances" are practiced frequently. According to Word of God literature, those with certain problems are considered possessed by demons, and deliverance experts cure them. Members may be judged at any time to be possessed by a demon if their behavior shows, for example, greed, lust, pride or malice. One or more other people drive the evil spirit from the stricken member. His or her behavior is expected to change afterward. Such rites are widely used by cults as a means of control: Anyone out of line can be deemed to have a demon. "Deliverance practices in the Word of God put a lot of psychological stress on those being delivered of demons they didn't even know they had," says Yoder, who underwent such experiences. A Word of God internal document says deliverance practices can help new members overcome "spirits of independence, rebellion, feminism, isolation, etc." Other psychological targets of deliverance are "self-image problems, guilt, shame, etc." The Word of God states in its public literature, such as a book on deliverance by Father Michael Scanlan, that "solemn exorcism" or "driving out the devil from a possessed person" should only be performed by a priesj approved by the local bishop, as stipulated in canon law. An internal document, however, states that anti demonic deliverance can be worked on within the Word of God. The detailed document makes no reference to the role of priests or bishops, but recommends a "link-up to the pastoral system of the community," i.e., the Word of God leaders. Canon law or loose cannons? Former members vary on the degree to which the Word of God is a de facto church. Some see it as an autonomous

church. Other former members call it a "hybrid church" or a "semi-church." If the Word of God were to claim open independence, it would lose its influence with church authorities, its members fear. Thus, sources say, there is a tension between the desire for the authority of an independent church and the desire for collaboration with Rome.

Critics charge that the Word of God leaders hope to ~old existing church eo into their own image. They point to Newark, N.J., to illustrate their point. In 1985, parishioners of Little Flower Church in Berkeley Heights, N.J .. cornplained to the archdiocese of Newark that the People of Hope, a l,200-member (Continued on next paue)

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THEOLOGIC/\L EDUCATION AND SPIRITLAL LEADERSHIP SIC:CE 18\: '1'111' SEARCII FOR nUTIi /\\IJ WISDOM
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THOMAS S. MONAGHAN owns DomiPizza. a fast- food . enterprise that does $2 billion in annual sales. He owns the Detroit Tigers baseball team and is conservatively estimated to have a per"mal fortune of more than $250 milliion. I I.. regards his Catholic-centered spiri:ual life as koy to his happiness. "My greatest accomplishment in life has been the fact that I've been in the state of $3 nctified grace continually for 2O-some odd "ears; he !DIdNCR in April. ~Innaghan has lent his name !Dvarious church projects. He is one of Cardinal Edmund Sroka's inner circle. He and ChrysI", chairman Lee Iacocca signed a fundf,1ising letter to cover expenses of the pa pal visit to Detroit last spring. At Szoka's request. Monaghan gave $100,000 t, the Vatican !Dhelp computerize ita ope-r-ations. He established a chapel in his corporate headquarters so that he and

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other employees could attend daily Mass. In his autobiography, Pizza Tiger, Monaghan says his ultimate goal is "to go !D heaven and take as many people a<; pcssiblewith me." Monaghan readily discusses these and other church activities and matters of faith. Absent during interviews. and absent in his autobiography, however, is any mention of his close working relationship with the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit (see part one). That closeness is clearly demonstrated in Central America, where a number of longtermjoinl MonaghanlSword of the Spirit programs are in the works. Monaghan has designated Honduras as a suitable country for spawning Sword of the Spirit projects. He has established Domino's franchises, a sauce packing plant and a clothing factory for highpriced export markets. all somehow connected to Father Enrique Sylvestre. who runs one of two Sword of the Spirit branches in Honduras. Monaghan has been trying!D establish a two-year technical school in Honduras by this fall. with the help of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. a Word of God-controlled school. Word of God member Michael J. Healy. who is dean of faculty at Steubenville. has accompanied

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hoard. ral America coordiu.nor loDomine's Pizza is Francisco Znniua. WlIrd orCod nu-mber trained this '-:':11";. be a Sword of the Spirit courdinato;, In .u: interview last Slimmer, Zuniga said h. had incorporated a foundation for the de vclopment of Honduras in Panama. ltdirectors will include Monaghan. other businessmen and at least one Hondur.u. bishop. J n an August 1987 interview. Monegh.i said the Honduran government and th. U.S. Agency for International Developnu-nt were aiding his projects. In a move that could enhance his influence in the Honduran as well as the U.S church, Monaghan announced early t hiyear the beginning of an internetion e! Catholic businessman's group cnllec l egatus. The first branch was formed ir. Honduras and claims the support o! three bishops then.'. With land acquisition and ether pluuin Honduras, Monaghan will have signit icaru penetration of the economic. n'i: gious, political and educational sphereof that country. Aware of the political implication of his work, he noted that t h.: (Continued Oli page? 21)
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(Continued from previous page) branch of the Sword of the Spirit. took over their parish. The parishioners called tuem a cult. Then-Archbishop Peter Gerety examined the allegations and insisted' the group sever its ties to Sword of the Spirit. About 25 families then left Hope: Hope leader Robert Gallic and Sword (,' the Spirit leaders appealed to support rs in the Vatican to overrule Gerety.

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Martin and Gallic traveled !D Rome to seek fonnal approval for the Sword of the Spirit. In 1986. Gerety discussed the controversy with officials in Rome. He retired shortly afterward, but Archbishop 'Theodore McCarrick inherited the problem. Hope' leaders express confidence the Vatican will grant the Sword of the Spirit some kind of canonical status that would negate the archbishops' demands. They are championed in the Vatican by Bishop Paul Cordes. vice president ofthe PontificaJ Council for the Laity, although several senior cardinals there are thought to be cool to Sword of the Spirit. The pope's views on Sword of the Spirit _ have not been fully clarified. But a conference of Word of God members and assoeiated groups held at the University of Steubenville last spring included several prelates close to the pope (NeR, April 8). Cardinal Edouard Gagnon. president of the Pontifical Council for the Family (PCF), said of the movement, "The pope accepts them. He is ready to accept them even if at times they exaggerate on one

point or another. . The pope has a very solid trust in them." Gagnon also appointed one couple !D the pcr bccau se, he said. they were based at the University of Steubenville. Sword of the Spirit In 1983. Word of God leaders announced the formation of Sword of the Spirit as the vehicle for its national and international growth. About 50 affiliates in the United States and abroad come under its umbrella. Branches exist. for example, in Baltimore. Providence. Miami, Managua, Beirut. Dublin. Johannesburg arid Manila . .Bword of the Spirit runs various outreaches, including Servant Ministries. through which books. cassettes and music are produced. University Christian Outreach provides a campus presenee, and the Center for Pastoral Renewal attempts to reach church leaders. FIRE (Faith. Intercession. Repentance and Evangelism) targets Catholics. Led by Martin and Father Scanlan. it is based at Scanlan's University of Steubenville.

Hispanics are approached through Kervj; nut. formerly known as Hispanic-Arn.-r icon Missions, \, hich operates through v out the \Vestern Hemisphere. Agora l nternational organizes businessmen. A number of these groups have sub sidiary activities, such as Vine Books, ,: Servant Ministries unit intended {, reach Protestant audiences. The branch communities in variou. cities around the world have local units ru these mostly Ann Arbor-based out. reaches. These branches may have Iron hundreds to more than 1.000 member, each. They follow the doctrine. practice, and leadership of the Word of God. whicl. serves as their ideal community. The entire network of businesses anc branches is engaged in what one \Vord oGod leader called "a radical analvsis ". where the world is going and how w, must stand against it - how we must become a counterculture. . (We must make clear that we're not just picking au, scattered problems in a system wit l which we otherwise basically agret.'.".

Friends of Our tune Brothers organization that helps tnou- : sands of homeless I and abandoned ~ . children. We urge .. }1)U to pledge as Irttle . as Sl8.00 per month ... .:, .0 give hope and'" future to an or~ nn ao e d child in MeXICO. Do it today. ns tax deductible. and""'" ns easy and it feels good. ' MasterCardand Visa welcome. : ..YEs. I woukl like to sponsor a child. :] cannot sponsor a child but 'M)uld like 10help. Here's my payment 01S _

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National Catholic Reporter November 16. 1988

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:,!;i dcknow!t:dgul t hnt contra leader .: L-(, f("ht:lo printed (\\'0 cditions of hi .s ,",_The- Stur arul Tribun.: quoted FUN n ...k-r Alfonso Calejas as ~<lying, '"I read .i ;,r~~d' of (he book and th,)ught it was a ":Li' -I book. so I spoke tu Nicaraguan ;'n::_,d;" private individuals, who helped

i h.mberto .... the publication." -ith 'Vcodv Heppner. whose public relauc ;'i~ fir-m Keppner Associates in Miami ft'i,t"bented the FDN from 1982 to 1985, .-:!'~~fL", contra gmup' paid fol' Belli's x. "\\'1.' had Belli's book published, but it .\ 3:-. publ ished with FUN funds that (.,-::!.' III us." said Keppner. Although he ;~t:, lined to name-the Miami printer of the tlt .. .k. Keppner says he worked "with one "f -'..,irprinters that printed it." Be estim.u ed that 5,000-6,000 copies were
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pp:~tl-d.

dealings with the eonclaim that he was not a He arranged for Managu,t's Cardinal Mib'Uel Obando y' Bravo. rct c rning from Rome after being named a c.u-dinal. to offer Ma&Sin Miami for cont ra leaders. According to Chamorro, the ,'lie: arranged the event through Belli because he was seen by the contras as Obando's "ambassador" in the United St.ues. The cardinal was also close enough to Ht,1i to have him appointed in 1982 as I,n,- of only five lay consultants tothe VatiG~:1 Secretar-iat fur Non-Believers. The n-l .uonship between Belli and Obando .~')I:'" back to their association ... the -ith :--Iv.rd of the Spirit in Munagua in the 1 ~!.-!}~.
i~<!lli had other : nt,'"', despite his COli! r-a supporter.

B,lIi's background
\;,:lli';j sever-al versions of his political :;;.-::)ry are vague at best. At a Mconie :')'-;~rl'ncl' in Dallas in August 1984, he -u.: -d. "For 10 years I was a Marxistl., .ru ... I rom the lime 1 ltll high school \

Belli had other dealings with the centres, despite his claim that he is not a contra supporter. He arranged for Managua's Cardinal Obando y Bravo, returning from Rome after being named a cardinal, to offer Mass in Miami for contra leaders.
um il {became a Christian in 1977, when I was 31 years old." In his second book. Be. aking Faith, published a year later. he says his studies at the University of Pennsylvania "undermined my commitment to Marxist theory" in the early 19~Os. Returning to Nicaragua in May 19'::1, he joined the FSLN (Sandinistas) for two years, even though he didn't "believe any more that Marxism was a true science." He also began working for the Centr-al Bank of Nicaragua that year. In perhaps his first contact with a U.S. nurional security agency, Belli began re-

cciving Agt'n('y for International Development lAID) contracts in 1977, according U) his cur-riculum vitae. He also received research contr-acts .... private -ith agencies such as a Rockefeller-Ford Foundation survev. He became a member of Ciudad de Dios, established in 1978 in Managua as an affiliate of the Ann Arbor-based Sword of the Spirit. Although his second book is biographical, he never mentions Ciudad. Ciudad de Dios (City of God) was headed by a wealthy merchant. Carlos Mantica. Its small membership included leaders of various elements of opposition to the Sandinistas, including CO~EP. a business group; the Nicaraguan Pennanent Human Rights Commission.and Lc Prvnnu newspaper. All three groups were close to Obando y Bravo, as was Ciudad itself Members included Editor Jaime Chamorro and theologian Roberto Cardenal, both of La Prcnsa. Xavier Zavala of the Human Rights Commission and Alfonso Robelo, both leaders of the Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), were close to Ciudad. The MDN led the boycott of the 1984 elections in Nicaragua. ~ Father Federico Arguello. a close associate of Carlos' Mantica, was reported in Newsweek to have received $31.000 through a labyrinth of corporations and bank accounts set up by Oliver North. Arguello, who is also close to Obando y Bravo, oonfinned receiving the money but would only say it went through a New York bank. . According to Joe Davis. who defended Arguello in a Moonie newspaper last fall, Argu{!110found the money in a personal account one day. "In the course ofinquiring about the source of the funding, he contacted Oliver North, whom he had briefed about the Nicaraguan church the previous spring. North responded that he had helped arrange for the funding. which. North said, was donated by the private Scaife Foundation." Other projects reportedly supported by North included Obando's eucharistic congress last November. Ciudad played a key role in organizing the congress. A 1984 memo from W.R. Grace & Co., headed by J. Peter Grace. released to the New York Times, noted thai Obando was seeking funds for training "pastoral cadres," a term Ciudad and other Sword of the Spirit branches use to describe themselves. Appa ... ently, Obando intended the Grace money to go to Ciudad, among others. AJso, Grace's wife once sent money to Sword of the Spirit and has maintained contact with its leaders. The Gracecontrolled Sarita Kennedy East foundation also funded the activities of Mario Paredes, who. sources say, has assisted Puebla. In 1980, Belli became editorial page editor of La Prensa. According to Bob Woodward's recent book. Veil. the CIA began funding La Prensa that year. Also in 1980. Ciudad and the Sword of the Spirit were planning to oppose the Sandinistas. Carlos Mantica wrote in the September 1980 Pastoral Renewal. a Sword of the Spirit publication. that "we look forward to more difficulties in the future, and a time of great evangelism after that."

scenario to organize in Nicaragua was proposed. The memo's author hoped Belli could pr-esent. the plan to the pope when the latter visited Nicaragua. The memo proposed a spiritual cover for its political intentions: "The attitudes toward the government should not be directly confrontatory, or overtly political. Instead, especially at the outset, the concern of the various participants in this effort should be mainly spiritual. . The items on this sheet, which will obviously be perceived as hostile to the purposes of the government, should not be revealed." The memo elaborated on ways that Ciudad, the Cursillc movement and "sound" Protestants could mobilize Nicaraguans against the Sandinista government in coordination with La Prensa, Obando

from the State Dcpart rnunt and various national security agencies. The council has provided consuhuncies to the Stare Department, White }{OUS(: and U.S. Information Aiency and has received USIA funding. Forn-er Seattle br-anch scholarin-residence George \Veigel served on a USIA panel and <11:;0 as senior consulw tant to the program that set up the National Endowment for Democracy. \Veigel later established the James Madison Foundation, the Washington. D.C., branch of the council, and publishes its newsletter under the auspices of Evron Kirkpatrick, a career intelligence operative whose other publication, World Affairs, has defended death squads. The World Without War Council also !X'1I~ Belli's books.

and the pope, Punitive actions against "leftist Christians" and "problematic bishops" and the "disciplining of priests" were advocated. When the church was strong enough, "a direct confrontation with the government about its policies. aims. etc. by the church would be good ... perhaps to pave the way for a new government more consistent with Chr-istian principles." By the fall of 1982, Belli was working with rightist and pro-contra groups across the United States. Early support came from Freedom House and the Institute for Religion and Democracy (!RDl. Freedom House. a group with leaders close to the intelligence agencies and with views close to the State Department. published an interview with Belli conducted shortly after he moved to the United States. . SOP strikes In Nicaragua The !RD has promoted Belli through Ciudad had discouraged Christian its newsletter and by distributing his participation in the overthrow of dictator first, CIA-funded book. lRO board Anastasio Somoza. The anti-Sandinista member Richard John Neuhaus. a plans are reflected in the sentiments of speaker. at Word of God events, joined one Sword of the Spirit operative. who Puebla Institute's Board of Reference. wrote to coordinator Steve Clark in 1980: The World Without War Council. a "I personally feel like the whole Central self-described peace group, organized a .multicity tour for Belli and Arturo Cruz. American range of things is the place of fortification at this moment if we are re- then a contra leader being supported ally going to get into the war and deal with a monthly stipend from Oliver North's safe. . with the situation," In a July 1982 memo circulated to key The World Without War Council feaSword of the Spirit leaders. an elaborate tures programs dominated by speakers

Organizations with close government ties have promoted Belli; the State Department and the Office of Public Affairs have directed journalists and people seeking speakers on Central America to Belli. Belli has also associated himself with the Heritage Foundation, the Cardinal Mindzenty Foundation and CAUSA. The latter is the political ann of the Unification Church (Moonies). Belli has spoken at CAUSA forums. The Moonies have offered Belli's books for sale through their own distribution networks. Through the Heritage Foundation. Belli has shared thepodium with contra leader Adolfo Calero. He has also reo ceived honoraria from Lynn Bouchey's Council for Inter-American Security, :1 new right, pro-contra group. Belli has presented himself as merely a Christian activist disillusioned with the Sandinistas, He claims to be a critic above the battle. with no ties to any camp, not supporting the contras or Managua. In order to maintain this posture, Belli has had to deny the identity of his sponsors and associates, such as the CIA and the contras. Other layers of secrecy prevent the Puebla Institute from being linked to the Word of God and Sword ofthe Spirit. The connection, sources say, would have a negative impact on Sword of the Spirit's other operations in the Philippines, Leb-

20

N,-l!io",,1 Catl)<?l: J3ep0rter November 18, 1988

anon or Ireland, as well as in the rest of Lntin America. In the Philippines, the Word of Joy, a ~word of the Spirit branch headed by Fat.her Herb Schneider. conducts semin.u-s for counterinsurgency military leadors. The purpose, according to a military spokesper-son interviewed by the Christicni Science Monitor, is to make the soldiers more effective fighters, The yearlong seminars use the same program that the Word of God and some Sword of the Spirit branches use to indoctrinate new members in their organizations, Sword of the Spirit has a program operating in the midst of the civil war in Beirut. Instead of proclaiming a successful cvangclism, however, Ralph Martin of the Word of God says in a newsletter the program has to maintain "secrecy" to operate effectively, Following the money Part of the financial support that has made the Word of God, Sword of the Spirit and its satellite operations possible comes from several corporate sources. From its founding in 1982 until it moved to New York in 1986, Puebla's board of directors was drawn from Word of God members in T&B Computing, a software company doing business as far .twnv as China. More substantial is the su pport of Domino's Pizza owner Tom Monaghan (see separate story). Other members cf the new board, along with Belli, were: James Finn, editor of Freedom Ilouse's Freedom ot Iesue and a founding

board member of the Institute for Rcligion and Democracy, Finn was a former chairman of the World Without War Council. George "Veigel, also a board member of the Institute for Religion and Democracy and head of the James Madison Foundation. Madison Foundation board member E\TOn Kirkpatrick, husband or Jeane Kirkpatrick, publishes Weigel's American Pu rpose newsletter. Thomas Melady, a former ambassador to Burundi and Uganda for Richard Nixon. He has served for years on the board of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a right-wing think tank whose funding, directorship and projects have been associated with several intelligence agencies. His involvement v,1th Puebla was arranged by former International League staffer Nina Shea, who estsblished the Washington office of the Puebla Institute, The right on human rights _ Shea authored a July 1986 International League report that claimed there were many thousands of political prisoners in Nicaragua. Its findings were criticized at the time by established human-rights groups. The report did not cover contra abuses but merely referred to the contras as the "armed opposition." In her report, Shea says the International League relied on its Nicaraguan affiliate, the Pennanent Commission on Human Rights (CPDH), for information. The CPDH was then receiving funding from the AFL-CIO and the National En Domino's corporate chaplain, Father Patrick Egan, is also a Word of God member and head of the Word of God's Christ the King parish. It was Egan that sparked Monaghan's interest in helping Sylvestre in Honduras. Monaghan and Egan had Nicaraguan Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega celebrate a Mass at the Domino's corporate headquarters chapel last August. . A Word of God member who ran for Ann Arbor city council as a Republican ran his campaign from Domino's headquarters. Monaghan helps fund the TV ministry of Word of God cofounder Ralph Martin and also aided the failed TV ministry of Father John Bertolucci, a top leader in FIRE, the Catholic branch ofthe Sword of the Spirit based at the University of Steubenville. Bertolucci and Puebla Institute head Humberto Belli are both on the Steubenville faculty. Martin said in 1986 that Monaghan gave his TV progrnm H $100,000 matching grant. Domino's employs many Word of God members, while other real estate businesses owned by Monaghan have Word of God members as officers, Bishop Kenneth Povish, an adviser to the Word of God's New Covenant magazine, is also Michigan chaplain to Monaghan's Legatus group. Legatus has integrated Word of God members into its leadership and activities. Monaghan says he was inspired to form Legatus within hours of meeting John Paul II in Rome last summer. Its membership is made up of corporate CEOs with firms having annual sales of at least $4 million. CEOs of financial corporations must head firms with $80 million in assets. Its stated purpose is "promoting and supporting moral ethics in business in conformity with the teachings of the Roman Catholic church so that the lives of all can be enhanced." The first chapter of Legatus was formed in Honduras in .Junc 1987 through the effort of Zuniga, who also became the I.Rgatus liaison for Central America. A Mic-hig;lll chnpl.er W;t:; Iot-med sE'n,,-;,i weeks late-r, with monthly meetings that featured such speakers as J. Peter Gran', Michael NOV:lkand Mother Angelica.

dowment

for Dl'll1ocr:a'y t ltnHlgh the procontr-a Prodcmca ~',rrllj;!. The CPI)} I. based in Nilar;lg11;l. rn-vr-r c'tit.irized t lucomrns. The ht'<ld of i hI' CI'D}l at the time of the report V;:lS ~.l;:rt.<J Haltodano,
a friend or Belli and associated wit h

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Whether the Word of God is a cuft, as some former members claim, or more sinister, as others say, it has successfully permeated vital areas of church life, as well as social and political life.
Baltodano has since u-Ft CPDH to head a human-rights group that is part of the contra structure and operates under the supervision of Elliott Abrams' office, superseding an earlier contra humanrights unit that failed to improve the contras' human-rights image. Shea says it was her July 1986 report that caused Belli, Davis and others to hire her for Pueblo's Washington office. Shea described the formation of the

Shea said Puebla was going l .. membership organization with ;,1 Catholic board and political basr-. ..\\. phmning to he Catholic funded and rected." said Shea. Direct-mail sfJlic ' lions, foundations and the Knigbt-. :'I: Columbus were prospective ~OUr({'3co: financial support, she noted Although New York Cardinal J O'Connor's office has been supportive. said Shea, "we want to be a lay organ.. a. tion, unfettered by the hierarchy." In spite of the changes in Sln.H_'1U:\Puebla is still a Word of God/Sword of\~, Spirit operation. The Puebla postal p<r mit is still paid by them and has a Wr-rd of GodISword of the Spirit address for h,ll ing. The Puebla publication, Niccriuiuc in Focus, is printed in Ann Arbor. Accord. ing to Shea, Puebla's change from oil: explicitly antiliberation theology st.anceto a human-rights emphasis was in-: i gated by Davis, Belli and their lay orgnni. zations. The Word of God has traveled a loug. labyrinthine road since its inception a~ a simple prayer group in the 19fj;1~ Whether it is a cult, as some former rm-.nbers claim, or more sinister, as oth: r.. say, it has successfully permeated \.::;-.: areas of church life, as well as social ."v-j political life. The official reaction of 1~l church has ranged from turning a blind eye to extending benevolent support. '; -uWord of God is a story the last cbapte: I'; which has not yet been wr-itten.

Monaghan
(Continued from page 8) college he seeks to establish could develop Honduras' "next generation ofleaders." With the Sword of the Spirit as an ally. he hopes to make Honduras a bastion of anti-Sandinista sentiment. To this end, he toured refugee camps near the Nicaraguan border in a U.S. Army helicopter with Congressman Carl Purcell from Monagh an's Ann Arbor district. The tour "OS arranged by the Puebla Institute rsee main story), Monaghan and Zuniga deny a political interest in supporting the contras. Zuniga, who fled Nicaragua with his family in 1979 at the collapse of the Anastasio Somoza regime, says no politics are involved in his activities in Central Americu. But Monaghan, in an interview with

Domino's employs many Word of God members, while other real estate businesses owned by Monaghan have Word of God members as officers.
the far right-wing COllseroatiue Digest,
said failure to support the contras could thn-aten the United States: "Talk about !itunino('s if we lose! It's going to be EISal-

vadot. it's going to be Panama, it's going In I~' Mexico. \Ve could have a Soviet client
,1;11\' ;llollg 1Il/" :-;ouilu-I'II

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Munaghau\ relationship to Word of Cod and Sword of the Spirit goes beyond
!

lit' I {ondu

r-an ad ivit ics:

By August 1987, Bob Thomton was hired as executive director of Lcgatus, working out of a Domino's office adjacent to Monaghan's. He had previously been itUSilWHS munage:r lor Si'rV:lllt Ministries, the outreach arms of Sword ofthe Spirit. Thornton has arranged fur Father Herb Schneider of Manila, one of the three top

Sword of the Spirit leaders, to for-: Phillippines chapter of Legatus. Thornton estimated in April that I....: tus had 150 members, with 90 If", th~' Michigan t:h:IIIl,er. Head of III" d. tcr and one of the four director- I,! international group is Detroit bu-rn(Continued on next !KJJ.:C)
National Catnolic HeporteNovember 18. 198~

21

have fc.uun-d Word nfC;od roorclinator i\l:irtin and Univvrsit v of Steubenville President Father l\1ictl;wi Sr.mlnn. FlIlure nu-et iugs will include Randv and t Continurd [nrm pr,~inuspnt:d The-rese Ci~er, Word of God activi~L<;,on how 1.0 improve one's marriage. 1l1;!11 Frank Stella. ;1 Republican party fund.miser wit h strong White House conLeg.nus has shown tl predilection for ru-ctions. right-wing politics in other c-ays. In Stella has been a candidate fur several March. a two-day retreat held in Ann \\ "lute i f()U~t~ appointments. including the Arbor featured former John Birch Socictv activist. and New Hight leader Paul lntclligvnce Oversight Board (Jon) LInd weyricb. :1 political opcrarivr- of beer u.ubassador to the Vatican. The lOB advises the White House or. the legality of magnate .Joe Coors. Monnghun told NCl? that IA.... gatus is covert opera lions. his most important commitment. '" feel From 19$5 to 191H. Stella was chairit's the reason Iwas put on this ear-th," he II1;lIl of the RI... publican Heritage Groups said, "to establish Legatus." He said he Council. the ethnic outreach unit of the Republican Nat ional Committee. The even joined the Knights of Malta, headed council's leadership includes heads of by ,J. Peter Grace, in order to help build Lcgatus. "Frankly, lru honored lo be E:I:'-t European emiJ:.""-c groups that colasked to he a member of the Knights of :;lhnratl,d with Hitler before and during Malta." Monaghan said. 1(8 always been \\-orld War II. One of those leaders showed a prestigious organization, but the role it this writer his photo in a Nazi uniform serves I'm still not sure of. I was in;Iilt! talked of his continuing tit's to Nazi terested, frankly, in being able to identify gmups. candidates for Legatus." One of Stella's coleadcrs in Italian (~{)P polit ics was on honorary member of Aller Monaghan's induction into the I'.:,Z. rhe cabal of fascists, Mafia and group in January, fellow Knights Bowie Kuhn and Lcw Lehr-man agreed to help others that sought to overthrow the ltalorganize a New York City chapter of i.tn gO\t.Tnml'nt in the 19705. In 1986, Legatus. Monaghan said that a mid~telln gave nn Italian-American award to August meeting in Cardinal John O'Con:1/1 Italian P-2 member who was a known nor's residence had 47 candidates for arms trafficker. Stella has also been membership, including J. Peter Grace. attempting to legalize Las Vegas-style Monaghan is a lifelong Catholic. He gambling in Detroit. spent more than six years in a Catholic Legatus has attempted chapters in orphanage and a brief time in a semimany other cities. It got a major boost in nary. His lifelong dreams, he said, also Boston when Cardinal Bernard Law, included wealth and material success. another of the four international directors, His is a story of rags-to-riches. of wealth hosted an organizational meeting for through dctennination. And his views on local business leaders, whom he asked to poverty, labor and social justice were form a chapter. Law has worked with the shaped by his personal business success. Word of God in several capacities, includAlthough he professes loyalty to the pope ing the board of advisers of FIRE and as and church teachings, Monaghan does not a speaker at a Word of God event last follow Catholic teaching on responsibilisummer. Zuniga described Law as inties conferred by wealth, his critics say. terested and supportive of his work in Monaghan is an ardent free-enterprise Central America. advocate. He believes unfettered: busiLegatus approaches bishops in various ness practices should be accepted, withcities to aid in the formation of Legatus out unions or government influence. Conchapters. It has held meetings with Archt rary to the bishops' economic pastoral, hishops Renate Martino and Pio Laghi. which calls for "commitment to the public papi-ll representatives to the United Nagood: which empowers the disadvantaged, tions and United States, with the aim of Monaghan has been charged with having ;1 l.A.'gatlis meeting in Rome with the pope an outdated approach to char-itable work this fall. by a former associate pastor of his parish. The one-week Legatus meeting in Father Frederick Thelen. in a letter to H(;me will include presentations hy Car. an Ann Arbor newspaper, called Monadinnl Anthony Bevilacqua of Philadelghnn's "free-enterprise" projects in Honphia and Phyllis Schlafly. both of whom duras "not in the mainstream Catholic arc described by Monaghan as "resource church of today." While praising Monapeople" for the event. Post meetings of
g:lI1

Monaghan

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in tlondura.<:

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ghan's many works of charity. Thelen adds, "But if one docs not work to empower the people themselves to address the root causes of their poverty, you have only half the faith when it comes to church teaching on social morality."> Despite Pope John Paul 11'5 teaching that unions are "an indispensable element of social life," Domino's employees have been told by Monaghan that no unions will be allowe-d at his company, according to former employees. They say Monaghan refers to unions in disparaging terms. He told NCR that "unions are the cause of our federal deficit." He said

for a pa rty for 70 people. and invited : '), to cover the three-dav affair. B .;! ncssmcn and well-known sport.s il:ld . r: tertainment ligures participated in . iconspicuous consumption. One t\.:ll planned for the partygoers includc-! ;! midnight seance on a nearby sacred '<u tive American burial ground, In spite of the pope's c:\11to exercis"option for the poor," Monaghan's rea) ..~. tate enterprises are aiming at the :J?-":':;~:t market. He announced plans ca rl ie- t. build a housing complex in Ann Ar!"H with units selIing at $500,000 each Practically none of his well-publiciv.:
prr-ss

f'/Tonaghan told NCR he disagreed with the bishops' pastoral on the economy. 'It's like a liberal Democratic party platform ... 1think most businessmen disagree with it. '
unions are needed, however, when employees are mistreated. Monaghan said he did not want to say much about unions, for fear of being "targeted" by them. He says such fears prevent other businessmen from criticizing unions. Domino's workers are' paid minimum wage, although recruiting posters and want ads promise to pay "up to $8 an hour" for pizza delivery persons. The difference comes from mileage reimbursements due employees who must use their own cars and pay their own gas and insurance to deliver pizzas. Prospective employees are encouraged to accept these terms in hopes of someday becoming a well-paid franchise manager. Employees are also expected to conform to Monaghan's Personal tastes. A number of male employees were fired or forced to quit in January when they refused to cut their hair to Monaghan's standards. One of them, a 17-year-<>ld . pizza maker, is suing Domino's to get reinstated in his $3.60 per hour job, with back pay, Monaghan explained at the time of the incident that he wanted Domino's to reflect "family values." Monaghan has been criticized for buying expensive gifts for associates, but he has a ready answer: He buys items he wants his friends to have, and giftaaren't expensive by his standards. But even people who respected Monaghan were surprised when he spent a million dollars acts of charity have been directed to l :'l' poor and needy. One former employe- of three years, John Velner. credits ':"101".;1 ghan's pick-yourself-uI>-by-the-Oool.":r" pattitude as the reason. "He has a Hornic Alger view of the world," says Velncr. "It look years for him to set up a ret iremc nt benefit. program. Ifsomeone brought t subject up, he used to say they should ",. tablish a Domino's franchise to plan Uf their future: Monaghan toldNCR he disagreed wrt h the bishops' pastoral on the economy "It's like a liberal Democratic party plat. form, ... 1 think most businessmen ci~ agree with it: While he told NCR that he has no '1 r-ial relationship with the Word of God. he stated that Martin "is one of the Catholic speakers inthe country: He said he joined the University of Steubenvilleboard at the request of Martin and Si,C benville President Scanlan, adding ... l'c do anything that either of them asked" Monaghan praised Steubenville as "Ilk center for Catholic education in t h United States: Although the president and provos-t c." Notre Dame have addressed Leae: umeetings. Monaghan cr-iticized that u niversity. "1 think Notre Dame. some of; bthings going un there - it's almost ')( come the work of the devil." I\lun;t.!!:;l: said. -lUl

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DOUG SCHIRCH Based on a sermon by Doug Schirch, Jan. 7, 2005; Edited by Jodi H. Beyeler When Associate Professor of Chemistry Doug Schirch 82 was working with the ecumenical Christian organization Witness for Peace (WFP) in Nicaragua during the late 1980s the height of the countrys violent civil war he joined his co-workers in commiting not to eat Dominos pizza. Little did he know how this vow would be tested in his walk of faithfulness to God.

Left: Doug Schirch 82 joined Witness For Peace in Nicaragua several years after graduating from Goshen College, at a time when the decade-long war in that country raged between the U.S.=backed Contra guerillas and the Sandinista revolutionary governments army.

At that time, the U.S.-based pizza company was owned by one of the organizations enemies: Tom Monaghan, a conservative Catholic who reportedly helped finance the Contra guerrilla movement. The U.S.-backed rebels were waging war against the Sandinistas, the revolutionary government that had recently toppled the countrys 45-year-old Somoza dictatorship. While remaining neutral in Nicaraguan politics, Schirch and WFP opposed U.S. governments involvement in the Contra war. We brought delegations to witness the impact of the war; we documented Contra human rights abuses; we worked with the U.S. media to foster more accurate coverage of the war; and we lobbied [the U.S.] Congress to cut off aid to the Contras, Schirch said. During a cease-fire late in the war, Schirch was impressed by the determination of Nicaraguans to end the destructive hostilities. Three of us were in a hamlet in a conflictive zone when several dozen Contra guerrillas and Sandinista army soldiers arrived, peacefully, to discuss their differences. Both bands had come fully armed with rifles, machine guns and grenades, which a couple weeks before they would have been using against each other, he said. For two hours they mingled like guests at a cocktail party in the dusty, barren opening in the center of this hamlet, disagreeing ardently about the wars causes, but agreeing unanimously that all Nicaraguans suffered as a result. Afterwards, two Sandinistas shared how painful it was to dialogue with Contras who had recently killed a close friend and wore his hat as a war trophy. They admitted

that the necessity to find common ground with their enemies had compelled them to be there. That left an impression on me.

Left: Schirch, associate professor of chemistry, returned to the campus Science Building this academic year to teach a new generation of students. It was in 1987 that Schirch had first traveled to Nicaragua, influenced by the call of Jesus Christ to love ones enemies. In graduate school I was deeply impacted by what Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi wrote about Jesus teachings on loving the enemy, and what that means in todays modern, politicized world, said Schirch, who quickly found out that his enemies were not poor Nicaraguans fighting on both sides of the war. However, ideological enemies individuals and institutions in the U.S. that supported the Contra war still existed, but WFP workers in Nicaragua did not have to encounter directly. Monaghan was not the only influential person in the United States supporting the Contras; Humberto Belli, a Nicaraguan exile, was well known as a lobbyist for U.S. aid and arms to the Contras. These men were both on Schirchs enemy list. DOES GOD TALK TO OUR ENEMIES? Left: Schirch, left, stands with Humberto Belli, a lobbyist for the U.S. aid and arms to support the Contras during the Nicaraguan civil war. The two found common purpose in higher education in Nicaragua. The decade-long Nicaraguan war abated in 1990 devastating the countrys economy and leaving 75 percent of Nicaraguans living below the internationally defined poverty line, a level that persists even today. That same year, Schirch married Nicaragua native Maria Sanchez. The couple started a family, and Schirch needed a job, so they moved temporarily to the United States but planned to return to Marias home country. He had earned a doctorate in biochemistry after graduating from Goshen College, where he said he had discerned Gods call to, someday, become a college professor at a small, liberal arts, church-affiliated college. But that type of school didnt exist in

Nicaragua. If you imagine God sending someone to igloo-making school, and then to the Sahara to find a job, youll appreciate how I felt, Schirch said. [I thought that] somewhere I must have misunderstood God. During a visit to Marias family in the small village of San Marcos, Schirch learned about a new university to be established there. It would be a branch campus of the University of Mobile (Ala.), a Baptist liberal arts college. At that moment it became clear, Schirch said. This was where I was going to work. It was a perfect fit. The U.S.-based college was pleased to have found an American professor who was a committed Protestant, fluent in Spanish and had previous experience in Nicaragua. Then three years into his faculty post in the chemistry department, unexpected institutional challenges began that eventually impacted Schirchs career. He agreed to serve as academic dean, though he did not seek the position; another candidate could not be found. I can accurately say that when I took office, everything began to fall apart, he said. The school experienced significant upheaval after Nicaraguan media publicized reports of financial mismanagement and impropriety by the presidents of both the universitys Alabama and Nicaraguan campuses. Students withdrew from classes, leaving no money to pay the bills, and a new president at the campuss parent institution threatened to close the Nicaraguan campus. Although obstacles seemed to dissipate just in time to avoid disaster, it was never enough to get us out of the woods, Schirch said. For two years it seemed the campus could fall like a house of cards. As academic dean, Schirch was put in a difficult position when asked by parents whether they should withdraw their children before it was too late. The colleges future weighed on him heavily. I had terrible doubts about what was right to do. Convinced that God had asked me to take this job, I told Him I couldnt do it with integrity if I didnt know what would happen to the campus, Schirch said. I didnt expect the prayer to be answered, any more than I expect God to tell someone how the stock market will turn. Later, when he happened to read the biblical book of Esther, he found a source of hope. Most intriguing was the reminder of how God transformed impending catastrophe, turning the tables so that those who appeared doomed were miraculously delivered, he said. I was skeptical, but God continued to speak convincingly in different ways, until I realized that I needed to act on my convictions and be assured of the campus future.

But Schirch couldnt have foreseen the irony in Gods plans. When the University of Mobile decided to attempt to sell the Nicaraguan campus to another U.S. institution, Schirch was involved in courting potential buyers. It was then that he came face to face with his former enemies in a completely different context as collaborators on a joint mission. In 1999, Humberto Belli, the Nicaraguan who had raised support in the U.S. for the Contras, stepped forward to endorse the schools last chance for survival: a purchase by Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio), a conservative, evangelical Catholic school where Belli had taught. More than once I asked myself if I had sold out, Schirch said. Later, when Humberto Belli said that he had discerned that God wanted him to leave his current job and become unemployed, so he would be ready to work at the campus under its new owner, my head reeled. I caught myself thinking, God, you expect me to believe that you talk to Humberto Belli? Whats next, you eat Dominos pizza? Amidst his internal struggles, Schirch remembered something he had read while a student at Goshen. A theologian was decrying the gulf between Christians on the political right and left in the U.S. Since the two sides often dont associate, yet each can work alongside non-Christians with similar political leanings, the author asked: Can the divided Christians both claim to be centered on Christ? God wasnt asking me to join Humberto to support the Contra war. He was asking me to work with Humberto on something I felt passionately led to do: save a Christian liberal arts college. I realized that the success of the endeavor was going to require some tolerance on my part. But for a time, this too seemed destined not to be. Just prior to finalizing the sale, the potential buyer backed out of the negotiations; the University of Mobile would close the Nicaraguan campus after all. Humberto Belli was wrong about his future job, and I was wrong about the institutions future, Schirch said. It was a depressing, leveling experience. We were both equally delusional in thinking God had spoken to us. WHEN GOD WORKS THROUGH AN ENEMY TO PERFORM A MIRACLE Left: The Schirch family (left to right) are Juni (11), Maria, Doug, Joshua (7) and Jessica (13) moved to Goshen in July 2004 as Doug left the faculty of Ave Maria College of the Americas in

San Marcos, Nicaragua, to become an associate professor of chemistry at Goshen College. With faculty and students concerned about the schools impending closure, and with three days left to find a donor to contribute $1 million to keep the classroom doors from being closed, Schirch said he knew that only a miracle could save the campus. But I hardly dared to pray for one. The next day Schirch received a phone call. A priest in California, Fr. Joseph Fessio, asked to help. He said he had a friend who used to own Dominos Pizza, Tom Monaghan, who had sold his business for $1 billion so he could dedicate the rest of his life spending his entire fortune to promote Catholic causes. Monaghan said he had been inspired by Jesus New Testament lesson to a rich man about inheriting eternal life. Monaghan eventually bought the Nicaraguan campus and incorporated it as part of a new Catholic college in Michigan, Ave Maria College, dedicated to the liberal arts and cultivating a vibrant Catholic spirituality. The Nicaraguan campus didnt close, and Humberto Belli became its new president. Schirch said, It was undeniable God had an unfolding plan for the campus, and I was expected to work for it along with Humberto Belli and Tom Monaghan. The college was not transformed overnight, and initial campus ministries efforts to encourage spiritual development were largely unsuccessful. Although 90 percent of the student body was at least nominally Catholic, most had no interest in the schools Catholic mission, Schirch said. Belli instituted new policies, but the result was considerable rebellion by students and faculty; many of the Catholic students said they wanted to return to the Baptist leadership. Dr. Belli and I had such different ideas about how to proceed, Schirch said, that it almost reached the breaking point. Eventually the crisis dissipated and the new policies were dropped. But the next year, miracles began to happen, and the new Catholic campus experienced a profound spiritual renewal. Schirch said, One year no students were interested in weekly prayer meetings, and only 14 of the 450 on campus wanted to go on a spiritual retreat. Two years later, there were 100 students attending weekly prayer meetings and 200 went on spiritual retreats. The Holy Spirit was at work. Although Ive read articles accusing Monaghan of starting a college in order to cultivate narrowminded storm troopers for conservative political causes, and I still feel strongly about what happened in the 1980s, I found my Catholic colleagues were primarily desirous that students take a closer walk with Jesus. I have no disagreements there. My colleagues share some human traits

that make all of us weak, but I also saw them be kind, forgiving, prayerful, humble and sincere, Schirch said. Im glad I stayed long enough to see, after God saved the campus from closing, a glimpse of the purpose that he saved it for, Schirch said. It seems it is all too easy for us Christians to fight among ourselves. It doesnt always have to do so much with a lack of fundamental beliefs that unite us, but perhaps rather with our tendency to focus on what separates us. Has Schirch ended his boycott of Dominos pizza? At an Ave Maria board meeting, I sat at a table with Mr. Monaghan and other Ave Maria administrators, and we broke pizza together.