Uh oh, American Bishop of Bling may catch Papal ire

One American Catholic Archbishop may not have gotten the memo, Pope Francis doesn't approve of lavish mansions. However, parishioners in the Archdiocese of Newark aren't waiting for Pope Francis to act, they're handling the situation themselves, by withholding donations.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Parishioners in the Archdiocese of Newark say they're disgusted to learn that their Archbishop, John J. Myers, is building a 3,000 square-foot addition to his current home and will be spending his retirement there.

Two weeks ago, the Star-Ledger disclosed that the Archdiocese was short of money to finish the project after overrunning the $500,000 budget allotted for construction. The balance would be funded by the Archbishop's Annual Appeal.

Let us pray for the leadership of our Church, that they may hear the Holy Spirit and serve with wisdom.

This year, upset parishioners are simply ignoring the envelopes, or at least sharply curtailing their donations to the fund. The fund finances retirement care for currently retired religious as well as schools, youth ministries, homeless shelters and care for the poor. It's also used to finance construction projects like the one undertaken by the Archbishop.

Jim Goodness, a spokesperson for Archbishop Myers told the media that the fund usually generates between $10 and $11 million in annual revenues.

UCA News quoted parish priest, Rev. John Bambrick from the Diocese of Trenton as criticizing the Archbishop's spending. "The average priest lives in two rooms with a bathroom, and the pope lives in a hotel room. I don't understand why a 75-year-old man needs a 7,500-square-foot mansion with two swimming pools."

Bambrick explained that many priests share his frustration.

This year's annual appeal is likely to generate a lot less revenue as a backlash.

It is unclear if Pope Francis is aware of the Archbishop's choices and if he will do anything about it, however last year he notably suspended the Bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, also known as the "Bishop of Bling." The bishop spent $42 million on his residence. He was called to the Vatican and sequestered there in a Benedictine Abbey, and has not been heard from since.

An investigation into his habits suggests that he may have additionally mismanaged funds to finance his construction project.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Meyers has been dubbed the American reboot of the Bishop of Bling.

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