Pope banishes Germany’s ‘bling bishop’ Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst from diocese
Updated Thu 24 Oct 2013, 7:25am AEDT
Comment: Lesson learnt?? Leave bling to the the Papal palace next time!
About this time there arrived in Prague two strangers from England, men of learning, who had received the light, and had come to spread it in this distant land. Beginning with an open attack on the pope’s supremacy, they were soon silenced by the authorities; but being unwilling to relinquish their purpose, they had recourse to other measures. Being artists as well as preachers, they proceeded to exercise their skill. In a place open to the public they drew two pictures. One represented the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, “meek, and sitting upon an ass” [Matthew 21:5.] and followed by his disciples in travel-worn garments and with naked feet. The other picture portrayed a pontifical procession,—the pope arrayed in his rich robes and triple crown, mounted upon a horse magnificently adorned, preceded by trumpeters, and followed by cardinals and prelates in dazzling array. {GC88 99.3}
Here was a sermon which arrested the attention of all classes. Crowds came to gaze upon the drawings. None could fail to read the moral, and many were deeply impressed by the contrast between the meekness and humility of Christ the Master, and the pride and arrogance of the pope, his professed servant. There was great commotion in Prague, and the strangers after a time found it necessary, for their own safety, to depart. But the lesson they had taught was not forgotten. The pictures made a deep impression on the mind of Huss, and led him to a closer study of the Bible and of Wycliffe’s writings.
The Vatican has suspended a scandal-tainted German Catholic cleric dubbed the “bling bishop” for his luxury lifestyle.
“The Holy See deems it appropriate to authorise a period of leave from the diocese for Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst,” the Vatican said in a statement.
“The Holy Father has been continuously and objectively informed of the situation,” it said.
“A situation has been created in which the bishop can no longer exercise his episcopal duties.”
It did not specify how long the bishop would have to stay away, but added that this would depend on an analysis of the finances of his Limburg diocese and the responsibilities for its high costs.
The bishop flew to Rome last week with low-cost airline Ryanair to explain himself to Pope Francis, following accusations he took a business-class ticket on a trip to India and squandered money.
His private quarters in a new diocesan building are reported to have cost 2.9 million euros ($4.1 million) and included a 63-square-metre dining room and a 15,000 euro bathtub, using the revenue from a religious tax in Germany.
The reports have caused a scandal in Germany and sparked calls for greater transparency in Catholic Church finances, a reform aim of the new pope who has called for a “poor church for the poor”.
The 53-year-old bishop is under fire over the ostentatious building project in the ancient town of Limburg, which includes a museum, conference halls, a chapel and private apartments.
The project was approved by his predecessor and was initially valued at 5.5 million euros, but the final bill ballooned to 31 million euros.
The bishop is also accused of giving false statements in court about an expensive flight he took to India to visit poor communities.
Prosecutors say he gave false statements in a Hamburg court battle against news weekly Der Spiegel when he denied having told the magazine’s journalist that he flew business class.
Pope Francis has made several key gestures of a more humble style since coming to office in March and has condemned big-spending clerics.
The pontiff has refused to move into the lavish papal palace in the Vatican, staying instead in the Casa Santa Marta, a residence for visitors.
He has repeatedly called for the church and its faithful to rid themselves of earthly concerns like his name-sake, St Francis of Assisi, warning that “worldliness is a murderer because it kills souls, kills people, kills the church.”
Such gestures of poverty from the richest power on the earth is really mocking our good sense. Open the store house for the poor of Italy. Words and charitable acts for society and the poor is the pattern of all secret societies. A pretense one is benefiting others, with the real intention of self power and wealth.