How Aid to the Church in Need was born: an interview with its founder

Werenfried van Straaten, then secretary to the Abbot of Tongerlo (Belgium), started what from 1969 would be called Aid to the Church in Need.

In the forty years that are now being celebrated, ACN - Pius Sodalitium since 1964 and Universal Public Association of Pontifical Right since 1982 - has distributed more than 1.5 billion US dollars in places where the Church is persecuted or in difficulty: the Church «of the catacombs» in countries ruled by the communists has preference; but in 1959 it began its aid in Asia, and soon after in Latin America and Africa.

Some 600,000 donors currently provide about $50 million annually for the construction of churches; purchase of Bibles and religious books; livelihood and motorization for needy priests; aid to contemplative communities; assistance in refugee camps, etc.

The soul of all this continues to be Fr. Werenfried, Father Tocino as he is called in Germany, who will be 75 years old on January 17. On the occasion of both anniversaries, he has granted PALABRA an interview in which he explains the genesis, life, present and perspectives of his initiative.

Someone has said that Fr. Werenfried is «a force of nature»: an athletic build, fighting the tendency to obesity; disheveled hair, high forehead, matted eyebrows, lively eyes and a smile between mischievous and good-natured. He responds with precision, like someone who is used to setting a goal and walking straight -without deviating through collateral paths- towards it.

Why do they say that ACN was born on a specific date: December 25, 1947?

-For it was in that month of December when, on the occasion of the Nativity, I wrote an article in the little magazine published by our Abbey, entitled «There is no room in the inn», in which I asked for help for the defeated Germans and also asked for reconciliation with the defeated enemy. The response to that appeal exceeded all expectations, and thus began an adventure of charity and love that has reached the present day and encompasses the five continents.

In Germany they call him «Father Bacon». What is the reason for this nickname?

-In one of my preachings to help the refugees of the German diaspora survive, I asked each of the families listening to me to sacrifice a slice of bacon from the family's supply and bring it to the parish, which I would drop by the following Saturday to collect their donations. Operation Bacon had just been born. Thousands of tons of bacon poured into the Abbey and from there it was on its way to Germany. This earned me the nickname «Father Bacon».

Did you think from the beginning that your initiative would become what it is today?

-At no time. In that December of 1947, I made a simple appeal to Christians to love their neighbor, which I have maintained to this day. If this has given rise to the development that our Work has today, we owe it all to God, because it is only He who awakens in the hearts of our benefactors love for the Church in need.

FIRST STEPS

What support did you find in the early stages of your work?

-Stalmans, superior at that time of the Abbey of Tongerlo, where I come from. That of the local hierarchy and of course the support and backing of the Holy Fathers up to our own John Paul Il.

What were the next steps?

-After starting to help refugees, the actions gradually followed one after the other: adoption of priests, motorization, mobile chapels, construction of churches in the German diaspora, until 1952, when Aid to the Church in Need was launched.

An important chapter of your activities was, and I assume will continue to be, the countries of Eastern Europe: What kind of operations do you carry out there?

-Aid to Eastern European countries is mainly for the construction and restoration of churches, aid to seminarians, aid to nuns, publishing of religious and prayer books, maintenance of priests (especially the elderly), etc.

Did you have any relationship with Cardinal Wojtyla?

-Naturally. He has been a witness of the help that our Work has sent to the Church in Poland. Specifically, in the diocese of Krakow, where he comes from, we supported the financing of the construction of the Nowa Huta church.

NEW HORIZONS

I understand that you have subsequently broadened the horizon of your support. In what directions?

-At the express request of Pope John XXIII, following the Second Vatican Council, at which I was a Consultor, we began our assistance to the threatened and needy Church in Third World countries.

How can it be understood that a premonstratensian monk has become one of the great «managers» of the West?

-You cannot understand if you do not have faith. I am simply an instrument of God. He uses me so that fraternal love among Christians does not disappear.

Aren't you also the founder of some nuns?

-In 1966, together with Mother Hadewych, a Belgian nun of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, we founded the Institute of the Daughters of the Resurrection in Bukavu (Zaire). In 21 years of existence, the Institute already has more than 100 professed sisters and a large number of novices and postulants.As a priest and religious, the goal of our pastoral activity is to form saints, men and women, who truly live for God and for their neighbor by following to the letter the two great commandments.

«UN OF CHARITY».»

What kind of people help them?

-The team of my collaborators in the 13 secretariats of the Work, as well as the 600,000 benefactors we have throughout the world, is made up of people from all walks of life: priests, religious, laity, humble and powerful, we all form a large family that has come to be called the «United Nations of Charity.

Would you care to illustrate your work with a specific case, with an illustrative anecdote?

-I think I could list ten thousand examples. Every year we receive 8,000 requests for help, and we help in about 6,000 cases. Some requests do not fall within our field of pastoral aid, and we have to refer them to other organizations. You ask for concrete examples. Take church construction. Recently a Bishop from Latin America came by and asked us for help for a large cathedral in honor of the Mother of God. I reflected and indicated to him that it would be better to build a modest church and with the money saved, to build a catechetical center. This would make the Mother of God much happier. That is what he did, and we gave him a subsidy, which otherwise we would certainly have refused him. A Bishop in India wrote to me that if he wanted to build a piggery, then some Catholic agencies would finance a real palace for him. But if he wanted to get money for a building for the Lord, he could only turn to «Aid to the Church in Need».

DIFFICULT TIMES

And difficulties have you not encountered?

-There have always been more than enough difficulties. In the meantime, I have found that it was easier to overcome the opponents outside the Church than within it.

Specifically after the Second Vatican Council, you seemed to be an annoying character for some people. What did they have against you?

-After the Second Vatican Council, our Work was a hindrance, especially for Vatican diplomacy and other forces in the Church, which misunderstood the «aggiornamento» of the Holy Father, as if it were possible to establish compromises with atheist regimes. They wanted to put an end to our Work and they almost succeeded.

How did it all work out?

-The Cardinals and Bishops of the persecuted Church stood energetically by our side and intervened on our behalf with the Holy Father. Pope Paul VI discussed this with me for a long time and confirmed the necessity of our work. He assigned our Work the official status of a «Pium Sodalitium» and placed it under his personal protection.

ORGANIZATION

From a legal point of view, what type of personality does ACN have?

-Canonically, since 1984 we are a Public and Universal Organization, established by the Holy See, subordinated both to the canonical regulations and to the Statutes approved by the Holy See. In Civil Law we are a public utility organization, which makes its means available, directly and exclusively, for charitable purposes.

How is it organized?

-A.I.N. is made up of 13 national secretariats that report to the Head Office in Königstein (Federal Germany). In addition to the International Information Department, there is the Projects and Grants Allocation Commission, which is in charge of studying all the requests received, and the Financial Department, which issues the payment orders of the accepted requests.

What was your last annual budget and how was it distributed in percentage terms by sector?

-In 1986, $41,473,189 was raised and distributed, in percentage terms, as follows: Church persecuted 39.4 %; Church threatened 54.7 % and refugees 5.9 %.

With some charitable organizations, people have doubts about the destination of their alms. They suspect that, to some degree, they may finance guerrillas or pastoral initiatives of dubious doctrinal rectitude. What kind of precautions does the AlN take to assure its benefactors that nothing of the sort will happen?

-For a petition to be considered, it must be accompanied by the official endorsement of the Bishop of the diocese from which it originates, or by the religious Superior on whom the petitioner depends. The aids are also sent by the same way.WE WORK NON-STOP

You are now only the Spiritual Assistant. What does that mean?

-Yes, in 1981 I stepped down from my position as Moderator General of the Work and have limited myself to the position of Spiritual Assistant. This is my task in the Work, to be the shepherd for those hundreds of thousands who for us are not only a possibility of help for others, but who also seek inspiration for their own spiritual concerns. The Spiritual Assistant has, according to the Statutes, the task of overseeing that the Organization is faithful to the doctrine of the Church and that the joint activity of the Work serves the previously determined purposes. At the end of 1988, at the age of 75, I am thinking of leaving this position in other hands. As Founder of the Work, I have, according to the Statutes, the right to participate in all Assemblies, to speak at any time and, if necessary, to appeal decisions. This appeal can only be contested by the General Council, and this with a two-thirds majority. Thus it is assured that the Work, at least as long as it lives, will continue to work in the spirit of the Founder.

Would you mind describing one of your working days?

-A normal working day would be like this: I get up at 6 a.m., celebrate Holy Mass, have breakfast and at 8 a.m. I am in the office. There I work until 10 a.m. on the Spanish edition of the «Bulletin» for Christmas. At 10 a.m. a journalist comes for an interview about the Anniversary. This lasts until 11 o'clock. Then comes a Bishop from Asia and later a Sister from Peru. At 12 noon I start answering the letters from benefactors until 1 p.m. (I do about ten); then I have lunch at my work table, I have to lose weight, I go to bed for half an hour and then I continue with the letters. Later I discuss with my collaborators a film about the Work, I inform the French propagandists about the new spiritual lines in the conference room, I talk on the phone with countless people, I have dinner with a priest from Poland in the evening. I work in the office until about 11 p.m. on a sermon to Mary. I rarely go to bed before midnight.

You will be 75 years old in January, how do you ensure the continuity of your company in the future?

-As long as I live and preserve my physical and spiritual integrity, I will maintain the authority that the Statutes give me, and later, well, if God wills our Work, then He will take care of getting good collaborators, and I, for my part, will help Him in the search.