11 September 2014, The Tablet

Tale of a tub


 
With Pope Francis’ emphasis on simplicity and the Bishop of Limburg (aka the Bishop of Bling) scandal still ringing in parishioners’ ears, the living arrangements of German church leaders are under scrutiny like never before.The soon-to-be installed Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Woelki, has reduced the size of his flat from 2,700 square feet to 1,700. The residence in Cologne was built after the Second World War, and the bathroom was in urgent need of repair. This has led to questions about the cardinal’s bathtub, given that in Limburg €15,000 (more than £12,000) were spent on a luxurious, free-standing designer model.“It’s a strictly standard tub and moreover very small. Although the cardinal himself is very tall, he wanted a small tub,&r
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