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                  Vatican Removes Germany's 'Bishop of Bling'

   by Reuters

   The Vatican removed a German bishop on Wednesday because he spent 31
   million euros ($43 million) of Church funds on an extravagant residence
   when Pope Francis was preaching austerity.

   It said the atmosphere in the diocese of Limburg had become such that
   Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst could no longer carry out a
   "fruitful exercise" of his ministry there.

   Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed the "bishop of bling", had been ordered to
   stay out of his diocese temporarily last October while a local Church
   investigation and audit into cost over-runs was made. He offered his
   resignation at the time.

   A statement said the Vatican department that oversees bishops had now
   accepted his resignation after studying the results of the
   investigation. The German Church was expected to release details of the
   investigation on Wednesday.

   "The Holy Father asks the faithful of the diocese of Limburg to accept
   the decisions of the Holy See with docility and to commit themselves to
   rediscovering an atmosphere of charity and reconciliation," the Vatican
   statement said.

   Another prelate, Monsignor Manfred Grothe, has been appointed to run
   the diocese as an administrator on the Vatican's behalf for the time
   being and a position will be found for Tebartz-van Elst in due course,
   the Vatican said.

   The Limburg affair has been an embarrassment for the Vatican as Pope
   Francis has been urging Church officials around the world to live
   simpler lives and to get closer to the poor.

   Francis has several times told bishops not to live like princes. He has
   renounced the spacious papal apartments in the Vatican's Apostolic
   Palace for much more modest quarters in a Church guest house.

   Irritation
   Last year, Francis showed his irritation over the affair by keeping the
   bishop waiting for eight days in Rome before receiving him in the
   Vatican.

   Lay Catholic groups welcomed the move, calling it a chance for a new
   start in the diocese.

   "It is very important for the Church in all of Germany to draw the
   necessary conclusions ... this applies especially to transparency in
   Church finances," said Alois Glueck, president of the Central Committee
   of German Catholics, the main lay association in Germany.

   "Today's decision must be a signal for the whole Church, and not just
   in Germany," said the reform-minded lay group We Are Church."

   Tebartz-van Elst has apologized for any "carelessness or misjudgement
   on my part", but he denies any wrongdoing.

   German media, citing official documents, said the residence had been
   fitted with a free-standing bath that cost 15,000 euros, a conference
   table that cost 25,000 euros and a private chapel for 2.9 million
   euros.

   The affair has also deeply embarrassed a German Catholic Church that
   had been enjoying an upswing in popularity because of Francis's wide
   personal appeal and after years of criticism for covering up sexual
   abuse cases among the clergy.

   Tebartz-van Elst, 54, is still 21 years away from official retirement
   age in the Church. He will retain the title and rank of bishop but the
   Vatican will probably want to put him in a low-profile job somewhere.

   The scandal has put pressure on German bishops for more financial
   transparency, forcing them to scrap centuries of secrecy over reporting
   the value of their private endowments.

   Germany's church tax, collected from worshippers by the state and
   handed over to the churches, raised 5.2 billion euros for the Catholics
   and 4.6 billion euros for Protestants in 2012.

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   f-bling/1879651.html

References

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