WelCom October 2023
The Nicaraguan Government has removed the legal status of the Society of Jesus in the country and said it will confiscate its assets. The Government announced that it had cancelled the official registration of the ‘Association Society of Jesus’ and that its property would pass to the state. The confiscation notice claimed the Jesuits had not provided financial statements for the years 2020–2022 and that its board’s term of office had expired, violating transparency laws.
The spokesperson for the Central American Jesuits, Fr José María Tojeira, said the Nicaraguan Jesuits had in fact submitted the required documents but that the ministry had refused to accept them without giving any explanation. Fr Tojeira said that the purpose of the ‘Association Society of Jesus’ was to hold and transfer funds to support retired Jesuits.