Vatican suspends German 'bishop of bling'

[klr]

Vatican suspends 'bishop of bling' Tebartz-van Elst

The Vatican has suspended a senior German Church leader dubbed the "bishop of bling" by the media over his alleged lavish spending.

Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst is accused of spending more than 31m euros (£26m; $42m) on renovating his official residence.

The Vatican said it deemed "appropriate... a period of leave from the diocese" for the bishop.

The suspension comes two days after he met the Pope to discuss the matter.

The BBC's Stephen Evans: "Outside the cathedral, people expressed some satisfaction that the bishop had been suspended"

"A situation has been created in which the bishop can no longer exercise his episcopal duties", a Vatican statement said.

It said a Church commission would rule on the matter, but did not say where Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, 53, would go or what he would do while the inquiry was held.

The head of Germany's main lay Catholic group, the Central Committee of German Catholics, Alois Glueck, welcomed the Vatican's decision.

He said: "Pope Francis's decision offers the chance of a first step toward a new beginning in the Limburg diocese, because the situation has become an increasing burden for the faithful there, and in all of Germany, over recent weeks."
First-class flight

Bishop Tebartz-van Elst - and his spending habits - had become infamous in Germany, where many people pay Church tax to the state. The tax raised 5.2bn euros for Catholics and 4.6bn euros for Protestants in 2012.

Calls were made for the bishop to resign after he was accused of lying under oath about his spending.

He was criticised for a first-class flight to India to visit the poor.

But his official residence is at the heart of the criticism, after renovations were originally costed at 5.5m euros.

German media are reporting that the residence was fitted with a bath that cost 15,000 euros, a conference table for 25,000 euros and a private chapel that cost 2.9m euros.

The story has attracted heavy coverage and has stoked controversy among Catholics.

...

continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24638430

[Animavore]

Where's Father Ted when you need it?

[Tero]

Now who has the most bling in their shoes and dress? pope is jealous.

[pErvinalia]

This guy makes our Liberal Party politicians and their "entitlements" look piss-weak in comparison.

[JimC]

Liberation theology Jebus would not be amused...

[Hermit]

Now who has the most bling in their shoes and dress? pope is jealous.

[cronus]

It's only a matter of time before The Italian Mafia or World Finance step in and restore the prevailing order. Cutting German bling is fine but undercutting family profits by giving low or no interest loans to the poor and middle poor.....that's asking for blowback from the real rulers of this world.

[pErvinalia]

[Tyrannical]

I'm tired of these pacifist wanting to help the poor Popes. I want another Crusade!

[NineBerry]

A commission probing the German bishop at the center of a building scandal has found hard evidence against him, according to newsmagazine Spiegel. The commission is expected to present its report this month.

[...]

Among other things, previously unknown documents bearing the bishop's signature had been found in a "secret apartment" in the central German city of Limburg, the magazine reported.

The report said the evidence gathered by the committee showed that the costs for building and renovations at the episcopal headquarters in Limburg, which the bishop is said to have lied about, were even higher than the 31 million euros ($42 million) that have been estimated. That cost that was already eight times higher than originally planned.

In addition, money had been siphoned off from at least one church foundation within the bishop's diocese to finance the building and renovation project, according to the report.

[...]

http://www.dw.de/commission-finds-incri ... a-17420263

[Svartalf]

I'm tired of these pacifist wanting to help the poor Popes. I want another Crusade!

We need to take Mecca and the Arabic peninsula oil fields