Nicaraguan Regime Seizes Retirement Funds of Catholic Priests

The Nicaraguan dictatorship has eliminated a crucial retirement fund for Catholic priests, leaving them without a vital source of support. This latest attack on the Church comes after the regime froze the fund’s accounts last year.

The Association for the Priestly Insurance Fund, which managed the retirement savings of priests, was among 1,500 NGOs stripped of their legal status by the dictatorship on August 19. This move effectively cuts off the annual benefits that priests had paid into the fund, leaving them without a safety net in their golden years.

One priest, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his outrage at the regime’s actions. “I paid $300 annually for many years, but since the accounts were frozen, I haven’t been able to contribute. It’s like they’ve stolen from us, and ultimately, from the parishioners who generously support us.”

This development is the latest in a long line of attacks on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. According to a report by Martha Patricia Molina, the regime has perpetrated over 870 attacks against the Church since July 2023. The report highlights the freezing of the priestly insurance fund as a particularly egregious example of the regime’s persecution.

The fund, established over 20 years ago, relied on contributions from active priests, parishes, and church institutions, as well as Ash Wednesday collections. It provided a modest monthly pension of $300 for priests aged 75 or older and $150 for those aged 65 or older.

This heartless move by the Nicaraguan dictatorship has left retired priests facing an uncertain future, stripped of the support they need to live with dignity.

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