Hard-hit Venezuelan Churches Forced To Accept Plastic For Donations

Hard-hit Venezuelan churches forced to accept plastic for donations

Venezuela's collapsing economy has forced churches and priests to get creative in order to keep their coffers full as four years of recession and a projected one million percent inflation rate hit everyone hard.

Caracas, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Aug, 2018 ) :Venezuela's collapsing economy has forced churches and priests to get creative in order to keep their coffers full as four years of recession and a projected one million percent inflation rate hit everyone hard.

Citizens are limited in the amount of cash -- itself almost worthless -- they can withdraw from banks each day and, given the minimum monthly salary worth around $1.50, it doesn't go very far.

"The little cash I have is for the bus ticket," said Gladys Angel, a 58-year old accountant who also keeps her cash for shopping, where things can cost three times more when paying by card.

Priests have had to adapt and start accepting donations by card payments rather than the traditional passing around of a wicker basket for churchgoers to drop in some coins, or even notes.

Before giving his blessings, Father Alirio Suarez reminds the faithful that they can make donations using a "point of sale," as locals call the payment terminal, which has become as essential in church as the crucifix, chalice and ciborium.

"The payment terminal has not saved us, but it's helped alleviate the situation. People are generous with the payment terminal, you can see the difference," Suarez, from the El Paraiso parish in Caracas, told AFP.

On Sundays, when there are seven masses and many more faithful in attendance, Suarez's San Alfonso church can collect four million bolivars in cash -- less than one US Dollar on the black market.

"That won't buy you a kilogram of meat," said Suarez, 53.

Card payments however can triple the amount of cash coming in, although the priest has to borrow the payment terminal from a charity.

"If it wasn't for the payment terminal, things would be going very badly," he said, acknowledging that many people simply cannot afford to donate anything.

The transaction itself takes place in the sacristy, affording parishioners privacy, and perhaps also easing embarrassment for the church.

Venezuela has been crippled by food and medicine shortages and failing public services such as water, electricity and transport.

President Nicolas Maduro's government has finally decided to act -- but the decision to shave five zeros off the Currency, known as re-denomination, has been roundly criticized by analysts who say it fails to address the root causes of Venezuela's economic meltdown.

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