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Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the bishop dubbed the “bishop of bling”, who had been suspended over alleged lavish spending.
Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has been accused of spending more than 31 million euros ($NZ49 million) on renovating his official residence in Limburg diocese in Germany.
The cleric, dubbed the “bishop of bling” by the media, offered to resign when the scandal broke last October.
In response, Pope Francis temporarily suspended Bishop Tebartz-van Elst and instructed a church commission to investigate the matter.
In a March 26 statement, the Vatican said it accepted the bishop’s offer to resign “given that a situation exists in the Diocese of Limburg which prevents the fruitful exercise” of his office.
The Church called on the diocese to accept the decision “with docility” and to work toward restoring a “climate of charity and reconciliation”.
Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of senior clerics whose lifestyles seem too lavish.
The Vatican did not further elaborate on the future of Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, but said he would get a new position “at the opportune time”.
Auxiliary Bishop Manfred Grothe has been appointed to run the Limburg diocese.
Bishop Tebartz-van Elst and his luxury lifestyle have become infamous in Germany, where many people pay a Church tax to the state.
The tax raised 5.2 billion euros for Catholics and 4.6 billion euros for Protestants in 2012.
At the heart of the criticism was the refurbishment of the bishop’s official residence, originally set to cost 5.5 million euros.
German media reported that the quarters were fitted with a 15,000-euro bath, a conference table for 25,000 euros and a private chapel worth 2.9 million euros.
The bishop was also under fire for a first-class flight to India to visit the poor.
The story attracted heavy coverage and stoked controversy among Catholics.
In Germany, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the bishops’ conference, said the resignation would “end a period of uncertainty” in the Limburg diocese.
He told a Berlin news conference that he believed Bishop Tebartz-van Elst’s case had been handled “fairly and transparently” by the Vatican and German church.
In November, Bishop Tebartz-van Elst admitted to two counts of perjury.
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