There’s a new austerity movement in Europe—and Pope Francis is leading it. On Oct. 23, the pope suspended German bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed Bishop Bling by critics after he built a €31 million ($43 million) residence in the diocese of Limburg. “The Holy See deems it appropriate to allow the bishop time away from the diocese,” the Vatican said in announcing his suspension, pending an audit of the construction expenses.
Since his first day, the new pope has confirmed the reputation for frugality he earned in his native Argentina. He shunned a Vatican apartment in favor of two rooms in a guesthouse for priests. Instead of the bomb-proof Mercedes used by his precedessor Pope Benedict XVI, he has made official visits in a 20-year-old Fiat.
