Social Assistance for Nuns? Order Must Repay 64,000 Euros

The dispute over the return of three very elderly nuns to the vacant Goldenstein Monastery in Elsbethen near Salzburg has gained another facet. For two of the three women, who according to their own statements had previously been moved against their will to a home in Oberalm, the order's leadership is said to have wrongly applied for social benefits, as reported by the media on Friday. It is said to involve 64,000 euros that are being reclaimed. The public prosecutor's office is investigating.

Social Assistance Applied for Nuns

The leadership of the Augustinian Monastery Reichersberg, which is organizationally responsible for the Goldenstein Monastery, is said to have applied for social benefits for the accommodation of the nuns in the nursing home. The application was also approved by the responsible district authority. However, the social department of the state of Salzburg identified misuse of social benefits, as there was more than enough money available for the nuns' old-age provision, reported the "Kronenzeitung". The order's leadership, equipped with a general power of attorney, had submitted the application using the sisters' civil names to cover the remaining costs for the nursing home.

State Demands Social Assistance Back from Order

The application was approved by the responsible district administration Salzburg-Umgebung. Apparently, the nuns had no entitlement to social assistance because the monastery was responsible. The social department of the state is now demanding the total of 64,000 euros paid out back through the district authority.

"We were not informed about everything," explained district governor Karin Gföllner to the "Salzburger Nachrichten". The social department had not been presented with the transfer contract for the monastery, which also addresses the financial situation. "When we were informed, we immediately stopped the payments."

Order Leadership Spokesperson Denies "Abuse"

The spokesperson for the responsible order superior, Provost Markus Grasl, the external PR consultant Harald Schiffl, stated to the APA on Friday that the social benefits were not unlawfully applied for. "The district administration approved the completely lawful application for social assistance for the two sisters according to Paragraph 17 of the Salzburg Social Assistance Act. In 2018, the so-called care recourse was abolished. This means that any existing finances, reserves, etc., are no longer used for residential care."

"For the two sisters, all social contributions have, of course, been paid over decades or withheld by the social assistance providers," Schiffl explained. "An 'abuse', as suggested by the media, did not and does not occur in any way." Now the state of Salzburg has informed the order superior, Provost Grasl, that it is assumed that the legal conditions for the granted social assistance have changed due to the transfer contract of the property "Schloss Goldenstein." "For this reason, Provost Grasl has been invited to a meeting for clarification. This meeting will take place soon. Should the approval of the social benefits now be withdrawn by the state, the money received up to that point will, of course, be repaid to the authority." A decision from the authority is not yet available.

Prosecutor Investigates

The Salzburg public prosecutor's office has initiated investigations against previously unknown perpetrators based on a submitted statement of facts, as a spokeswoman explained to the APA on Friday. It concerns, on the one hand, the suspicion of serious fraud in connection with the social assistance applications submitted for the two nuns to finance their stay in the retirement home. The second allegation concerns the suspicion of serious theft. A statement of facts outlined that a cash amount, which one of the three nuns is said to have inherited, was stolen from the premises of the monastery.

(APA/Red)

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