World | Pope Francis 'Bishop of Bling' Steps Down Pope Francis accepts Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst's resignation By Matt Cantor Posted Mar 26, 2014 9:51 AM CDT Copied In this Sept. 24, 2013 file picture Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, right, Bishop of Limburg, Germany, attends a mass during a meeting of German bishops in Fulda, Germany. (AP Photo/dpa,Arne Dedert,File) A German bishop temporarily expelled last year by Pope Francis has now left his post for good. The pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, the Vatican says. Tebartz-van Elst had reportedly spent some $43 million on renovating church buildings, including his own residence, the New York Times notes. He earned the nickname "bishop of bling," per NPR—a particular problem at a time when the pope has called on clergy to live more simply, Reuters reports. Tebartz-van Elst initially offered his resignation in October amid frustration in his diocese. Read These Next Rudy Giuliani has 'some healing to do.' Amazon Prime members, you may not be happy with this news. Something weird is happening in the Gulf of Panama. A House panel has released a batch of Epstein files. Report an error