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ST. LEO, Fla., Feb 8, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Nuns of Holy Name Monastery say "ridiculous" Patriot Act scrutiny led their bank to freeze the St. Leo, Fla., religious order's main account.
"I think the Patriot Act is unwise," said Sister Jean Abbott, the Benedictine order's business manager.
"If it happened to us, it can happen to anybody," she told the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune. "I think people need to know that nobody is safe from, in some cases, really ridiculous scrutiny."
The order said its account was frozen without explanation or notification for a week in November, causing checks to bounce and taking three months to straighten out.
Abbott said she was told the trouble began because an 80-year-old nun, a signatory on the account, did not have her Social Security number or photo identification on file.
"Clearly an international spy," Abbott wryly told the newspaper.
A Wachovia bank spokesman, citing privacy concerns, declined comment.
The order vowed to lobby Congress to overturn the anti-terrorism law.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
