GERMANY/VATICAN CITY
RTE News
Pope Francis has ordered the German Roman Catholic prelate known as the “bishop of bling” for spending around €31m on a residence to leave his diocese for an unspecified period.
The move, just short of a resignation, was taken against Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg.
It comes two days after he met the pope to discuss the scandal in the German church at a time when the pontiff is stressing the importance of humility and serving the poor.
The renovation costs went from an initial €5m to over €30m, with an additional €10m also likely due because of damage to surrounding streets and structures caused by the construction work.
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