A German bishop has been summoned to the Vatican in Rome for an investigation into his lavish spending on his residence and lying under oath.
The bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, flew with Irish budget airline, Ryanair, to meet senior Vatican officials amid mounting calls for his resignation.
While the new pope has stressed humility and helping the poor since taking office in March, the œluxury bishop,” has reportedly spent 31 million euros (USD 42million) on a luxury home and office.
Bishop Tebartz-van Elst is also accused of twice lying under oath about a reportedly first-class flight he took to India to visit poor children.
The head of the Church in Germany said a commission has been set up to probe the finances of Limburg diocese.
œThey™re experts in canon law, finance and construction. They must find out what the building costs should have been and how decisions were made,” said Archbishop Robert Zollitsch.
A church audit says the bishop™s building project in Limburg, near Frankfurt, has gone six times over-budget, featuring a chapel, a museum, private flats and a 15,000 euro bath.
The apparent financial waste has sent shockwaves across Germany, where active Catholics pay a tax to the Church as part of their income tax. It has also triggered demonstrations outside the bishop’s residence in Limburg.
œIt™s catastrophic what the bishop has done. He needs to be deposed for wasting our money like that,” said one local man.
œWhat the man has done is not good. He needs to be punished for that. You cannot do that with other people™s money, you cannot beg for money all the time and then build a place like that,” added another.
The 53-year-old bishop has apologized for œany carelessness or misjudgment.”
MRS/PR
Copyright: Press TV