The Bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, who has been advised by the Pope to take time out from his diocese while a special commission audits his expenses (The Tablet, 19 and 26 October), has let it be known that he hopes to return to Limburg.
The rector of the German College Santa Maria del' Anima in Rome, Prelate Franz-Xaver Brandmayr, told the Sunday edition of the Austrian daily Österreich on 3 November that Bishop Tebartz, who had sought refuge at the College in order to "put some daylight between himself and the inferno in Limburg", had expressly asked him to speak in his name and to make it clear that he still hoped to return to his diocese as bishop.
Bishop Tebartz was "not bitter" Dr Brandmayr said. "He is as unassuming and likeable as ever but he's definitely disappointed about those others who are suddenly shirking their responsibilities."
Pope Francis was fully informed about the situation in Limburg and had not reproached Bishop Tebartz in any way when he met him in private audience, Dr Brandmayr emphasised. "There was no reproach. Only understanding and a joint effort to clear things up and find a solution."
Bishop Tebartz is meanwhile at the Benedictine Abbey of Metten in Bavaria where he has stayed on many occasions and is most welcome, Abbot Wolfgang Hagl OSB told KNA news agency.
Meanwhile the city dean of Frankfurt and member of the Limburg cathedral chapter, Fr Johannes zu Eltz, one of Tebartz's harshest critics, has criticised Pope Francis for leaving the bishop's future in abeyance and not dismissing him straight away. "I find this indecisiveness strange," Fr Eltz said in a letter to his co-workers.
As the number of Catholics leaving the Church because of the Limburg crisis doubles and even trebles in some dioceses compared with the figures for last year, the Chairman of the German Protestant Churches, Nikolaus Schneider, said that the crisis is also affecting the Protestant Churches. "The Catholic and Protestant Christians in our country are a joint liability community", Revd Schneider said.
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