the vatican

Pope Francis Fires Spendy German Bishop

73965571 Photo: Christopher Furlong/2013 Getty Images

The pontiff, who, while not a Marxist, is not down with “idolatry of money,” has dismissed German bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst from his post in Limburg following an inquiry into the $43 million residence he was building there with church funds and some taxpayer money. Tebartz-van Elst, whom the press sometimes refer to as “The Bishop of Bling,” defended the cost, which he claimed was spread over ten different projects, some of which were under historical protection, but Francis ultimately decided that a house with a $20,685 bathtub (like the one Tebartz-van Elst reportedly ordered) wasn’t the right look for a man of God.