The Bishop of Limburg has effectively been removed from his diocese (The Church in the World, 26 October), after allegedly spending €31 million (£26m) on his official residence. Problems like this could easily be avoided if the Church were to return to the ancient tradition of the local election of bishops. In that situation, a small number of candidates would probably be known personally to most of the selectors. The modern system entrusts the appointment of some 3,000 bishops worldwide to one man, the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who cannot possibly know personally the thousands of potential candidates.(Dr) Michael M. WinterLondon N19The suspension of the Bishop of Limburg shows that Pope Francis is serious about his call for a truly poor Church. No doubt, many pe