POPE EXPELS GERMAN 'LUXURY BISHOP' FROM DIOCESE (msm report)

AP ^ | October 23, 2013 | NICOLE WINFIELD AND DANIELA PETROFF

[NYer]

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis temporarily expelled a German bishop from his diocese on Wednesday because of a scandal over a 31-million-euro project to build a new residence complex, but refused popular calls to remove him permanently.

The Vatican didn't say how long Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst would spend away from the diocese of Limburg and gave no information on where he would go or what he would do. It said his fate would ultimately be decided by the outcome of a church commission investigation into the expenditures.

It said Limburg's vicar general, the Rev. Wolfgang Roesch, who had been due to take up his duties on Jan. 1, would start immediately and would run the diocese during Tebartz-van Elst's absence.

At the center of the controversy is the 31-million-euro ($42 million) price tag for the construction of a new bishop's residence complex and related renovations. Tebartz-van Elst has said the bill was actually for 10 projects and there were additional costs because of regulations on buildings under historical protection.

The Limburg scandal has been front-page news for weeks in the country where Martin Luther launched the Reformation five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the church. The perceived lack of financial transparency has also struck a chord since a church tax in Germany brings in billions of euros a year to the German church.

[NYer]

How many times have we heard in the past that the pope has no control over bishops and their lifestyles...

I don't know. How many times? Perhaps you are misconstruing this incident with this position.

[piusv]

So, I’m not following. If the Pope can’t respond to “bad bishops” as that older thread suggests, then why is he all of a sudden able to respond to this particular bishop?

[Alex Murphy]

...the truth about those swindlers known as TELEVANGELISTS. Most got their training in Amway...

LOL including Billy Graham?

[NKP_Vet]

Billy Graham didn’t get his riches from playing marbles. This poor son of dairy farmers is very rich. He learned years ago from other fast taking Southern preachers that there’s money in preaching. Not saying he’s not a good man who has brought the gospel to millions, but I am saying preaching made him very wealthy. And I just don’t know how that’s going to help him get to heaven or the rest of the filthy rich preachers, and it makes no difference what denomination. That was not what Christ was about.

[Alex Murphy]

Billy Graham didn’t get his riches from playing marbles. This poor son of dairy farmers is very rich. He learned years ago from other fast taking Southern preachers that there’s money in preaching. Not saying he’s not a good man who has brought the gospel to millions, but I am saying preaching made him very wealthy. And I just don’t know how that’s going to help him get to heaven or the rest of the filthy rich preachers, and it makes no difference what denomination. That was not what Christ was about.

So Billy Graham is a "fast talking, filthy rich Southern preacher", with a double emphasis on the word "filthy"? Does being poor help you get to Heaven any faster?

[NKP_Vet]

“Filthy rich” means very rich. And we know what God says about a rich man getting to heaven.

[NKP_Vet]

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves”

Matthews 7:15

[Morgana]

“This bishop was a scandal - I’m in Europe, and I’ve been reading about his $24,000 bathtub, etc.”

$24,000?!?!?! What is that bathtub made of? Solid gold?

[ClaytonP]

Interesting...How many times have we heard in the past that the pope has no control over bishops and their lifestyles...

That excuse is only used when church won't deal with the pro-abort, pro-sodomite bishops.

This Bishop violated the most sacred doctrine of all: "Social Justice"

[GreyFriar]

I’m sure there is a very small parish in northern Canada, Siberia, the Aleutian Islands or perhaps of catholic penguins in Antarctica that he could be sent to be their pastor.

[NYer]

I’m sure there is a very small parish in northern Canada, Siberia, the Aleutian Islands or perhaps of catholic penguins in Antarctica that he could be sent to be their pastor.

The bishop's obtuse actions are best remedied by living as a mendicant in a monastic community. He should be removed from any public contact.

[GreyFriar]

Yes, the perfect place for him. And perhaps being put in charge of cleaning the latrines and grease trap in the kitchen, with bare hands of course.

[Heart-Rest]

"I’m sure there is a very small parish in northern Canada, Siberia, the Aleutian Islands or perhaps of catholic penguins in Antarctica that he could be sent to be their pastor"

There is also a huge need these days for new priests in Egypt, Syria, Sudan...

[piusv]

Don’t forget that Francis believes the biggest evils (evils, not even “problems”) in the world are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the elderly.

Intrinsic evils (as taught by the Catholic Church) such as abortion are no longer the biggest evils.

[GreyFriar]

Excellent point. And the climate is warmer than Antartica.

[BlatherNaut]

this dude was out of control he was totally Bling bling Bishop

His residence looks like something from a fairy tale.

And the $20K luxury bath tub is such a fabulous touch. /s

[SevenofNine]

One of UK papers have insdie look at it earlier in the week it was out of this world with all gold

I think it was UK Daily mai or Telegraph one of those papers YIKES

[BlatherNaut]

One of UK papers have insdie look at it earlier in the week it was out of this world with all gold I think it was UK Daily mai or Telegraph one of those papers YIKES

I saw some of the pictures. Looked like the guy was wearing woman's makeup. One picture shows him hopping into a convertible.

The poor German Catholics are forced to pay the tax man for THIS?!!! Guess we in the U.S. don't have it so bad after all.

[NYer]

There is also a huge need these days for new priests in Egypt, Syria, Sudan...

Surprisingly, those countries suffering christian persecution, have a large pool of priests and seminarians. Moreover, their approach to faith is one of great humility. My pastor is an excellent example of eastern Catholic spirituality. He is "on loan" to our bishop here in the US. He comes from the Maronite Lebanese Monks; hence he is monastic, a priest and a missionary. There are others from his community also serving in various parishes around the country. His superior in the US, Abdallah-Elias Zaidan, recently appointed him bishop of one of the US dioceses. Two weeks ago, Fr. Zaidan was ordained a bishop by the Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Rai, in Lebanon. As I type this message, my pastor is in St. Louis, MO, for the installation of his superior, fellow monk and new bishop.

Here are two images that project the close camaraderie shared by these eastern rite priest. The first one was posted by my pastor last night. It was taken in front of St. Raymond's Maronite Cathedral in St. Louis.

My pastor is 2nd from the right. He is in his mid thirties.

I love the following picture. The Patriarch was elevated in 2011 when his predecessor, Cardinal Sfeir, decided to retire. In Pope Benedict's final consistory, he elevated Bechara Rai to Cardinal. It was a first for the Maronite Church to have two cardinals. Cardinal Rai participated in this year's conclave and was asked to serve as one of only three who count and register the votes. In the following photo, Cardinal Patriarch Rai is visiting with a community of monks that include two hermits.

These are priests, monks, hermits, missionaries, who have known persecution and are willing to lay down their lives tomorrow, for Jesus Christ.

Even the laity embrace martyrdom. You may not have heard of them but three Maronite brothers from Damascus, Francis, Abd-el-Mo'ty and Raphael, children of Nehme Massabki, were born in the first half of the ninteenth century.

At eight o'clock on the evening of July 9th, 1860, Muslim fanatics entererd the Franciscan church in Damascus, where the three brothers were kneeling before the Altar, and gave the Massabkis the choice between death and the acceptance of the Muslim religion. The Massabkis replied:'You may destroy our lives but you cannot destroy our faith in Christ and our souls; we are Christians. In the faith of Chirst we live and in the faith of Christ we shall die.'

They were killed before the altar. In the same night, many Franciscan priests and brothers were killed for their faith.

On May 4th, 1926 Patriarch Hoyek addressed a request to the Holy See, asking that the three Massabki martyrs be proclaimed saints. A committee was sent by Rome to make canonical inquiry in Lebanon and Damascus about the lives and virtues of the three brothers and the circumstances of their martyrdom. On October 7th, 1926, Pope Pius XI beatified the three brothers, Francis, Raphael and Abd-el-Mo'ty.

When Edith Stein was canonized, there was a backlash from the Jewish community. One of factors holding back the canonization of the Blessed Massabki Brothers is the anticipated reaction by the Muslims.

Okay ... I've gone overboard with the information but the point is, some like the "bling bishop" would be run out of town by christians in any and all of those countries.

[SevenofNine]

I watching DW GErman english news on KCET other day they talk about Cathoic in Germany so tick off with bishop they leaving the church in droves

They blaming this guy and ongoing sex abuse scandel