Pope Francis gets tough with ‘Bling Bishop’

Pope Francis has banished a German Catholic prelate known as the “Bling Bishop” from his diocese for spending €31m of Church funds on his residence at a time when the pontiff is stressing austerity.

However, the pontiff stopped short of dismissing him outright, a step which many German Catholics and the media had called for.

In a highly unusual move, Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg was ordered to leave his diocese while an investigation and audit into cost over-runs is held, a Vatican statement said.