GERMANY
Deutsche Welle
Germany’s top archbishop is to take up the controversial case of the Bishop of Limburg with Pope Francis. Bishop Tebartz-van Elst is accused of lavish spending in the renovation of his residence.
While Pope Francis has called for the Catholic church to be “poor and for the poor,” Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has become known in the German press as “the luxury bishop of Limburg,” or simply the “swanky bishop” over the renovation of his residence in the ancient town of Limburg, near the German financial center of Frankfurt.
Last summer the bishop had estimated the renovation costs at 13.5 million euros (18.2 million dollars). This week they were reported to be 31 million euros.
Diocesan officials have confirmed the costs which include 15,000 euros for a bath installed in the bishop’s residence and 783,000 euros for the gardens. When the project began in 2010, the total costs were put at 5.5 million euros.
Tebartz-van Elst was quoted in the mass circulation Bild newspaper as saying: “I understand that people are taken aback by the figure. But there are 10 separate building projects involved. People who know me know that I don’t need a pompous lifestyle.”
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