VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider

A bishop in Scotland and another in the US have renounced lavish living in exchange for simpler lifestyles

ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN CITY

Clerics have been changing their ways since the scandal involving the Bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, who was forced to leave his German diocese after faithful protested against the exorbitant sum he spent on his new residence complex, a whopping thirty million Euros. In recent weeks, Atlanta’s archbishop, Wilton Gregory admitted that he authorized an excessively expensive restructuring project for his residence, a mansion that was donated to him. The project cost two million dollars. Now, the newly appointed bishop of Paisley, John Keenan, has announced he wants to live in a parsonage in a low-income housing estate.

The Francis effect is taking root it seems. The Pope has not asked any bishop to copy him: it is a well-known fact…