A senior German bishop was formally removed by Pope Francis on Wednesday for alleged lavish spending which caused outrage among his faithful followers, the Associated Press reported.
Monsignor Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst had temporarily been suspended in October after he was accused of spending more than $43 million (31 million euros) on renovating his new residence complex.
"At the center of the controversy was the price tag for the construction of a new bishop's residence complex and related renovations," the AP reported. "Tebartz-van Elst defended the expenditures, saying the bill was actually for 10 projects and there were additional costs because the buildings were under historical protection."
The German Church leader from his Limburg diocese has been dubbed the "bishop of bling." After his suspension, a church investigation was ordered to be held by the Pope.
Known for his simplistic lifestyle, Francis has been extremely vocal in his disapproval of unnecessary pricey style of living, BBC News reported.
Referring to the church that "is poor and is for the poor," Francis urged his priests and bishops to be examples of sobriety, the AP reported.
After the inquiry, Tebartz-van Elst was excused from his ministry by the Vatican on Wednesday. The resignation, which was originally offered on Oct. 20, was accepted by Francis.
The Church called on the diocese of Limburg to accept the decision "with docility" and to work toward restoring a "climate of charity and reconciliation," BBC News reported.
Auxiliary Bishop Manfred Grothe, from Paderborn, has been chosen to take over for now, the Vatican said. However, "at the opportune time," Tebartz-van Elst would be offered a new position.
To help the Limburg dioceses move ahead, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the head of the German Bishops' Conference, told reporters in Berlin that he would do whatever he could to help.
"For that we will need reconciliation, new trust and the power of prayer," he said.
