Pope Puts Bishop on Leave Over $43 Million Residence
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Pope Francis put German Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst on leave pending an audit of a 31 million-euro ($43 million) project for a new residence in the diocese of Limburg that prompted outrage among parishioners.
The pontiff advised Tebartz-van Elst, whose Roman Catholic diocese includes the German financial capital of Frankfurt, to take a leave of absence until the audit has been completed, the Vatican said in a statement today. The Reverend Wolfgang Roesch, who had been scheduled to become general vicar of the diocese in January, takes that post immediately and will assume the bishop’s responsibilities, it said.