UNITED STATES
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Rev. Christopher W. Keating
As German bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst learned this week, church reform begins at home. More to the point, it often starts in the bathroom.
In fact, one could argue that’s exactly how the Protestant Reformation began.
The bishop’s upscale taste landed him in hot water with the Vatican. Tebartz-van Elst was suspended from his post after it was revealed that he had spent millions renovating his church-owned residence in Limburg. Among other excesses, the bishop had ordered a $20,000 bathtub. Rubber ducky sold separately.
Germans who are church members, incidentally, are required by law to give 8-10% of their income to the church.
The remodeling news came to light after it was revealed that the bishop had recently flown business class on a trip to India to visit impoverished communities. All of this seems to have garnered the attention of the pope, who has shunned a lavish lifestyle and drives a 20-year old clunker around the Vatican grounds. The pope’s commitment to simple living has been a hallmark of his papacy. I’m sure he takes quick showers, too.
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