Pope Francis Suspends Extravagant Bishop after spending £26 MILLION renovating his residence

The Pope has banished a senior Catholic figure dubbed the Bishop of Bling after spending £26MILLION renovating his residence.

Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, 53, was ordered out of his diocese by Pope Francis while the Vatican investigation takes place.

An official statement said the bishop "was currently not in a position to carry out his episcopal ministry" and he should stay away "for a period."

The decision is regarded as unusual because it appeared to leave him in limbo, falling somewhere between a suspension and a dismissal.

The issue has been a major embarrassment for the Pope, who has called for a more austere Church that sides with the poor and has urged bishops not to live "like princes".

Francis has also promised to clean up the murky finances of the Vatican’s own bank and has set up a commission to advise him on whether it should be restructured or even closed.