Pope Suspends German “Luxury Bishop”

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A central theme of Francis’s papacy has been his insistence on simplicity, not exactly the lifestyle displayed by the Bishop of Limburg in Germany. He is Franz-Peter Tebarz-van Elst, often described as the “luxury bishop” or “Bishop Bling-Bling.” He commissioned a $40 million renovation of his residence, and other buildings, including a $20,000 bathtub, $480,000 walk-in closets, and a million dollar garden. This week the pope placed the bishop on an indefinite leave of absence.

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