Pope Francis Suspends “Bishop of Bling”

This is interesting. Good Morning America reports: “Pope Francis today suspended the free spending German Bishop Franz Peter Tebartz-van Elst — known derisively as Bishop Deluxeor the Bishop of Bling — and ordered him to vacate the Diocese of Limburg, at least temporarily.”

Apparently the “Bishop of Bling” moniker was well-earned:

A final decision on the future of the big spending priest will be determined only after the German Bishop Conference has finished a detailed report on the cost of the construction remodelling of the bishop’s official residence. The pope was reportedly told last week that the final costs may reach $55 million, $13 million over the already substantial price tag.

Pope Francis, who has notably eschewed fancy shoes, fancy cars, and a fancy apartment for humbler digs all around, doesn’t like this kind of stuff. So that’s cool. The question: Is he willing to take these kinds of decisive actions against priests and bishops, say, responsible for child abuse sex scandals? Or is it crazy to even compare the two?  Because there are probably lots of Catholics who can handle Prada-wearing so long as it’s accompanied by accountability and security in other areas of the church.

Related: What is German for “Bling?”