your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Pigeons have to be one of the most unloved animals that humans ever drew to our side The birds that flock European squares descended from domesticated rock doves some 10,000 years ago and so are unusually relaxed around humans These gregarious birds tend to bring out irritation and disgust in people - as well as more nurturing instincts in those willing to share their crumbs But the pigeon-human relationship has taken a more drastic turn in one German town has just voted to exterminate its 700-strong pigeon population A referendum was held on 9 June - the same day as the country’s EU election - after the city council’s decision to kill the birds in November 2023 proved controversial Just over 53 per cent of the residents who voted on Sunday approved the killing of the pigeons The citizens have made use of their right and decided that the animals should be reduced by a falconer," mayor Marius Hahn (SPD) told the German news site This was the method initially proposed by the council last year and the question put to voters was simply whether the decision should stand or not More precisely, the falconer will lure the birds into a trap, hit them over the head with a wooden stick to stun them, and then break their necks.   Animal rights’ campaigners were horrified when the plan was announced. “We live in 2023, it can’t be that we kill animals just because they annoy us, or they’re a nuisance. That’s not acceptable,” Limburg city pigeon project manager Tanya Muller told the UK’s Sky News last year. The cull is set to be carried out over the next two years. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Bürgerinitiative "Stoppt das Taubentöten!" (@stopptdastaubentoeten) Critics say that as well as being cruel, pigeon culls aren’t really effective since any remaining birds will reproduce and replenish the population some studies show that pigeon numbers can even increase following a cull This was the case in Basel, Switzerland which had a pigeon population of around 20,000 the city killed around 100,000 pigeons each year A group called Pigeon Action found an alternative solution whereby citizens were warned against feeding the animals Pigeon lofts were also installed so that eggs could easily be removed from them Basel’s pigeon population plummeted by 50 per cent within four years The Bavarian city of Augsburg found a similar solution A local animal welfare organisation supervises several pigeon lofts swapping new eggs for dummies to keep numbers in check Many other German cities are plagued (or blessed depending on your point of view) with the cooing grey birds Kaiserslautern is also trying out the ‘Augsburg model’ with new pigeon towers where the birds are relocated Pigeon lofts or controlled nesting sites have also been installed in Ludwigshafen In the UK, as elsewhere, birds of prey have been enlisted to pick off pigeons But it can mean that unsightly droppings are swapped for the more gruesome sight of carcasses Other cities have tried to implement feeding bans Berlin’s state animal welfare officer sought a legal opinion on pigeon feeding from a lawyer and veterinarian They concluded that cities cannot ban pigeon feeding - and are even obliged to take care of the animals since they are the offspring of a neglected domestic species, not wild animals city pigeons lay eggs in large numbers,” the legal opinion stated “Feeding bans therefore do not lead to shrinking populations “The misery in numbers: The animal welfare advisory board of the state of Lower Saxony estimates the life expectancy of malnourished city pigeons at two to three years; under healthy conditions Because fries and breadcrumbs do not meet the requirements of pigeons the animals die a slow death of starvation." French hosting giant OVH has opened its first data center in Germany is set inside a former industrial building with an on-site electrical substation one of Europe’s most important data center hubs OVH said that the data center will support both local businesses and foreign firms especially those hailing from Eastern Europe OVH was founded by Octave Klaba in 1999. Today, the company operates 17 data centers across six locations, with another three under construction, and supports more than a million customers. It also runs a healthy public cloud business, having recently acquired VMware’s vCloud Air The company’s latest facility in Limburg is fully compliant with Germany’s strict privacy rules previously highlighted that OVH is not an American company and as a result it is not subject to the Patriot Act which gives US intelligence agencies legal powers that are incompatible with European attitudes to privacy Octave Klaba himself was reputedly featured on a list of ‘persons of interest’ targeted by British spies at GCHQ and he has little love for the intelligence community OVH is planning to build another two data centers in Germany but the company has published no further details at this point Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Home US Explainers German Town to Mass Kill Pigeons We Have the Facts CheckedAre pigeons a menace in a German town so much so that the people wish to kill them all a German town has decided to kill all its pigeons We Have the Facts CheckedAnimal rights activists and residents of a German town are in a tiff There is a fight over the issue of the need to cull pigeons in a German town A majority of residents in a tiny German town have voted in favor of culling pigeons.  This has led to a clash between residents and animal rights activists the central German town were still contemplating whether to implement the results of the referendum there isn’t any set timetable for the implementation Some suggest that the resolution requires a case-by-case review prior to proceeding Business owners and residents have been frustrated by the pigeons of the town The birds’ droppings have been troubling the restaurateurs and residents around the Neumarkt central square of Limburg started the legal battle there are about 700 pigeons in the town at present The town council made a decision to commission a falconer last November to lessen the population of pigeons in the town This was to be done by breaking their necks It is not surprising that animal rights activists protested against the decision fiercely This led to a petition for signatures to initiate a referendum the mayor of Limburg expressed that the citizens had to choose to decrease the population of pigeons over the coming two years with the use of a falconer who will kill the birds It came as a big surprise for the animal rights activists that the people voted for killing the pigeons took a decision in the year 2011 that killing pigeons must be associated with conditions like health risks town spokesman expressed that they must look into whether they match the criteria set by the Kassel court The key considerations as per the decision of the court are whether the pigeons pose health risks It is stated by Laubach that the administrative officials and the mayor have faced threatening letters and insults from the pigeon welfare activists for a very long time ALSO READ: World's Ugliest Dog Contest: Wild Thang is the Winner ALSO READ: What is This Fake Google Chrome, and How Does it Trick People? 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List of the Top 7 Most Beautiful Cities in the US Medievalists.net Read some stories of daily life from a fourteenth-century chronicler in Germany the town of Limburg an der Lahn has a history going back to the ninth century A notary named Tilman von Wolfhagen wrote a chronicle from this town and often noted the local events Moreover at this time the town and folk of Limburg stood in very great honour and prosperity in population and in wealth; for all the lanes and corners were full of folk and goods; and the citizens were counted at more than two thousand folk well armed with breastplates and harness and all appurtenances; and those who took communion at Easter were counted more than eight thousand folk In this year men sang and piped this song: on the eve of St Peter ad Vincula (August 1st) And he was a young man of less than thirty years and of goodly length and had a long face with a lofty nose and smooth hair plaited in a long tail And the said Johann would have been Count of Dietz if he had lived; but it came into other hands and was a right Freiherr born of all his four ancestors And he was cast into prison in the castle of Dern and brought to Dietz; and Count Gerhart held a Court at Reckenforst; and the aforesaid Freiherr was beheaded and buried forthwith among the Franciscan Friars of Limburg Wherefore think before you strike; for Solomon says: Fremens ira nulli parcit which is being interpreted: “Grim anger leaves no man free there was on the Main a Franciscan Friar who was driven out from among the people He made the best songs and carols in the world wherein there lived not his like in Rhineland or in these parts all men sang it gladly after him; all masters and other minstrels followed his songs and words and squires wore short hair and crowns cut over the ears like lay-brethren; and so also did burghers in general and the common folk and peasants after the fashion of the rest In these days was a Franciscan Friar of Brabant He bare himself as though he were a Bishop Suffragan and had forged letters thereof; yet was he no bishop This man went far and wide throughout the bishoprics of Mainz and Trier and had consecrated and ordained more than three thousand acolytes who must needs now let themselves all be ordained afresh; and men called them all Jacobites after the name of this aforesaid rascal Jacob This same Jacob I esteem more wicked than Judas who betrayed and sold Christ the Son of God; for the treason of Judas was made a balm and a salvation for the seed of men; but this other treason was a ruin and destruction to Christendom; for he caused mere layfolk to sing and read masses whensoever men weened that they held up the Body of our Lord (Communion) so that men called upon and adored an idol Wherefore thou shalt know the man’s form and his face; for I have oftentimes seen him with a long face and a long sharp pointed nose; and his cheeks were somewhat ruddy and he writhed with his body and bowed up and down in great courtesy And he came to an evil end when he was caught in this matter; and that was no more than justice Moreover at this time a child was born in Niderbrechen in the bishopric of Trier that had lower limbs of a man and shapen in the upper parts somewhat like a toad when men asked the woman whether she bare a child she answered thereunto that she bare a toad; and such was her answer at every time This translation is from Life in the Middle Ages, selected and translated by G.G. Coulton. You can read this book at Archive.org Top Image: Limburg depicted in 1655 – from Topographia Hassiae – Wikimedia Commons We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast and remove the advertising on our platforms This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce Member Login the word ‘Limburg’ conjures up the mighty stink emitted by so-called Limburger cheese In one of Mark Twain’s stories, its smell is even mistaken for that of a corpse And the cartoon character Mighty Mouse can only be weakened by Limburger cheese – a bit like Superman with Kryptonite where the same cheese is known under different names ‘Limburg’ usually refers to one of four places There is the German city of Limburg an der Lahn and the Belgian city of Limbourg both Belgium and the Netherlands have a province called Limburg Both provinces were unified into one administrative region by the French from 1795 onwards This territory was known as the ‘Department of the Lower Meuse’ (Département de la Meuse inférieure) after the river that flows through it Netherlands and Luxemburg formed one state as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830) it was renamed the province of Limburg after the city of Limbourg (which incidentally formed no part of the province of Limburg as it lies in the Belgian province of Liège) The stamp as issued by the Dutch postal service, valued at 0.75 guilders. Image found here at Dan’s Topical Stamps When Belgium split off from the Netherlands in 1830 Limburg was going to go to Belgium in its entirety But the Dutch mounted an initially successful campaign which had to be called off under international pressure This military stalemate is at the basis of the split of Limburg in a western as the city of Maastricht remained occupied by a Dutch general the Treaty of London officialised the split thus providing the Netherlands with its present-day borders and with its southern ‘tail’ Despite a separation that has lasted for about 175 years a feeling of kinship between the Dutch and Belgian halves of Limburg persists mainly due to similarities in culture and dialect (of Dutch) and by feelings of neglect by their respective ‘far-away’ capitals This stamp was issued by both Belgium and the Netherlands in 1989 at the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of London That treaty not only lost Belgium half of Limburg it also required the new country to remain perpetually neutral (which it did in the run-up to both World Wars – after the second one The stamp as issued by the Belgian postal service, valued at 13 Belgian francs. Image found here at catawiki The design on the stamp shows the territory of the Netherlands from the southern IJsselmeer to northern Belgium The territory of Limburg west of the Maas River is colored a light orange and belongs to Belgium while the territory north of the Netherlands-Belgium border and west of the Maas is a darker orange and belongs to the Netherlands Got a strange map? Let me know at[email protected] The municipal council of the German town of Limburg has approved the mass culling of pigeons to regulate their population which involves snapping the pigeons’ necks has sparked outrage among animal rights activists who describe the decision as “mass murder.” Limburg city councilors approved a measure aimed at significantly reducing the city’s pigeon population The decision had received the prior approval of the Limburg Environmental Committee a German town of little more than 30,000 people near Frankfurt More than 700 pigeons were counted recently The municipality wants to take a hard line regulating the number of pigeons by breaking their necks Animal rights activists gathered in front of the town hall to express their dissatisfaction with the pigeon cull Injunctions such as “Bands of murderers,” or “You’ve got blood on your hands” rang out against the town councilors following the vote on the decision The protest movement gained importance and spread throughout the country. Councillors received calls from all over Germany expressing their disagreement and looking for alternatives “According to the majority, the pigeon population in Limburg is so high that it is urgent to take measures to protect people and buildings,” the city said in a statement During the debates, only Green-affiliated councilors voiced their opposition and tried to see a compromise in regulating the pigeon population through birth control The proposal has yet to be validated by the magistrate A legal review is also planned to check that the proposal does not contradict existing laws tasked with finding a solution to pigeon overpopulation Berthold Geis is nationally recognized and has already received judicial approval to implement his pigeon culling system for other municipalities in Germany where they would then be stunned by a blow to the head They will be finally killed by breaking their necks Once the pigeon population was significantly reduced they would use less brutal methods such as birth control Geis has volunteered to cull pigeons if the decision is approved by the magistrates This project would cost Limburg town council 20,000 euros (22,000 dollars) compared with the 90,000 euros (98,000 dollars) needed for the birth control recommended by the Greens The decision has triggered strong reactions among animal protection associations such as the Federal Association for the Protection of Animal Rights They have threatened the municipality to file a complaint asserting that the decision violates animal protection law He studied political science and international relations at the European School of Politics and loves Japanese culture We report news that didn't make global headlines for an international audience market research and business intelligence services with the help of a proprietary international news tracker Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Jesus advised his followers to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" but an influential German bishop has been accused of storing up treasures in his earthly residence instead Senior figures within the Roman Catholic church have called for the resignation of Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst after it emerged that the cost of a building project on his property in the town has ballooned to 10 times the original estimate described by some newspapers as "palatial" is expected to cost €31m (£26m) and features a standalone bath worth €15,000 he is now facing legal procedures for allegedly lying under oath during a legal row with a news magazine Der Spiegel published an article claiming the clergyman had taken a first-class flight to India en route to visiting poor children in the slums of Bangalore Tebartz-van Elst had issued two affidavits denying the claims made by the magazine Hamburg prosecutors asked a court to fine the bishop for providing false testimony The chairman of the German episcopal conference, Robert Zollitsch, announced he would discuss the high cost of the building project with Pope Francis next week "I am as surprised by these figures as you," he said at a press conference "I am mystified by these figures and will say so to the holy father." The building project was set in motion in 2004 with the church providing about €3m to renovate the bishop's residence and restore parts of the old city wall the new complex is designed in a modernist style and will contain a chapel a nuns' home and meeting rooms as well as several private rooms for the bishop saying it was spread across "10 separate building projects" and said the price had been pushed up by a trust set up to maintain the listed building – a claim the trust denies He said: "Those who know me know I don't have a pompous lifestyle." But some of the details of the plans contradict Tebartz-van Elst's claims the bishop repeatedly changed his mind over the architecture of the building After the original plan had included a standing advent wreath Tebartz-van Elst had later demanding a wreath hanging from the ceiling which involved cutting a hole through the already finished chapel roof – pushing up the price from €10,000 to about €100,000 Criticism from within the church has been severe One member of the Bischöfliche Stuhl foundation that funded the project told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Anyone who thinks normally wouldn't sign off the kind of costs we are dealing with here." said she did not see a future for him in the Catholic church Known for his authoritarian style, Tebartz-van Elst was previously regarded as a loyal supporter of Pope Benedict. In 2008, he ordered the dismissal of a dean who had blessed same-sex couples. In 2010, he criticised Christian Wulff, then president of Germany for saying: "Islam also belongs to Germany." The Catholic church has assured taxpayers that the project is largely financed by a church fund and only €2.5m of church taxes were spent on the project Tebartz-van Elst was due to head off for a week-long pilgrimage to Israel on Friday but his office said the trip had been cancelled The Limburg revelations come on the heels of a series of miscalculations around major building projects in Germany Work on a new philharmonic hall at Hamburg's harbour was started in 2005 with an estimated price of €77m – by the time it is finished in 2016 the project will most likely have cost 10 times the amount The cost of Berlin's new airport was estimated at about €1.7bn in 2004 – in 2012 The two companies ADS Tec and Amperio have agreed to build 101 fast charging stations in Germany The first project will be implemented in Limburg an der Lahn the manufacturer of storage-supported fast charging stations has concluded a framework agreement with the Cologne-based specialist planning office Amperio and Slate Asset Management The content of the agreement is the joint expansion of the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles To this end, ADS Tec will initially supply 101 of its Chargeposts. These are fast-charging stations at which two cars can charge simultaneously In order to reduce the load on the grid or to avoid having to extend the grid connection a storage unit is integrated into the charging station This then provides the charging output of up to 300 kilowatts even if the grid connection would not provide this output Amperio will take over the installation of the charging stations at already contractually agreed city locations which will be financed by Slate Asset Management The installation and commissioning of the first Chargepost is already planned The facility will be located in Limburg an der Lahn The charging station will also be used to refuel the electrically powered call buses of the Limburg city transport system But all other EV drivers will also be able to charge here the charging station will be installed in the multi-storey car park at the Limburg-Süd ICE railway station and will be accessible to the public Amperio has already carried out site analyses in the run-up to the agreement the company intends to enter into the operation of large DC and HDC charging infrastructure projects "In order to be able to meet the rapidly growing energy demand for regenerative driving power drivers of purely battery-electric vehicles need more DC and HPC charge points," Oliver P Also interesting: First practical test for wireless EV charging while driving Describing the requirements to be covered by ADS Tec's Chargeposts "these must be able to be installed quickly despite limited grid capacity there should be an integrated payment terminal and enable drivers to have the best charging experience even when paying." 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The pv Europe editorial team offers their own analysis and discusses current topics with experts. 2013The Bishop of Limburg is embroiled in controversy and now has to stand trial for giving false testimony in court that is building a European network of fast charging stations where all electric cars can charge will today open its first station in Germany The fast charging station is located along the A3 highway at Limburg an der Lahn (exit Limburg-Süd) and has several 350 kW chargers This allows electric drivers to charge up to 100 times faster than at home making it possible to travel long distances with an EV Marius Hahn from the municipality of Limburg an der Lahn and Bart Lubbers co-founder of Fastned will officially open the station Fastned has the ambition to build a European network of 1000 fast charging stations The iconic stations are located at busy locations along motorways and in cities Fastned wants to give electric drivers the freedom to drive throughout Europe Fastned currently has 73 stations operational in the Netherlands and is preparing to roll out its network to other countries Fastned plans to open 18 stations in Germany before the end of the year With the roll-out of a network of fast-charging stations Fastned is responding to the exponentially growing number of electric cars in Europe As a result of the decreasing price of batteries more affordable electric cars with a larger battery and more range are being introduced This makes it possible to cover longer distances but also drives the need for fast charging infrastructure that can quickly charge these cars With these stations charging will become more and more like refueling your car co-founder Fastned: "After the successful German Energiewende now comes the German Autowende BMW and Mercedes will introduce fully electric models that can charge at high power This is a great challenge and opportunity for the automotive industry and charging companies like Fastned we are building the charging infrastructure that is needed to fast charge these cars with energy from the sun and wind.” mayor of Limburg an der Lahn: “Fastned’s first fast charging station outside of the Netherlands is a real win for the Limburg site and is visible proof of the ambition to improve the conditions for electric cars We wish the new station so many charging sessions that expansion to other locations will follow quickly all types of fully electric cars can charge their battery super-fast The roof of the station consists of solar panels All power that Fastned supplies comes from the sun and the wind Charging can be initiated with the Fastned app or by swiping a charging card For more information please visit www.fastnedcharging.com or check out our pressroom. In the presskit you can download more HR pictures of the Fastned stations Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst is pictured on a Ryanair flight from Germany to Rome on Sunday who are often shuttled around their parishes in luxury sedans As Tebartz awaits his audience with the pope the controversy over the bishop's spending is mounting in Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the church crisis via her spokesman who said the German leader was hoping for a "solution for the faithful," noting that "it was clear to everyone that a difficult situation had arisen," one that was a "major burden" for Catholics and the church alike saying he wanted to address the situation as quickly as possible -- also at a meeting on Thursday with the pope Zollitsch further distanced himself from Tebartz-van Elst on Monday "I am under a lot of pressure because people want clarity," he said "It is without a doubt a question of credibility and we are considering that," he said Originally slated to cost €2.5 million ($3.37 million) the price tag on construction of Tebartz-van Elst's new bishop's headquarters and residence has since ballooned to over €31 million Numerous sources involved in construction have strongly suggested that Tebartz-van Elst's special requests contributed significantly to those cost overruns Tebartz-van Elst is also in trouble for telling a SPIEGEL reporter in summer 2012 that he had taken a business-class flight to India -- and not a first-class flight as the magazine's reporting  indicated -- to meet the poor a claim he repeated in two public affidavits claim the bishop made incorrect statements and have pressed charges against him If he is found guilty by a Hamburg district court he would become the first bishop in the history of the church in postwar Germany to be convicted in a criminal court Although public pressure is mounting for Tebartz-van Elst to step down Germany's Catholic bishops have remained largely silent on the issue officials in Limburg and other communities that are part of the bishopric are reporting significant increases in the number of people leaving the church -- a step that requires registry at local administrative offices The affair remained prominent in the German media on Tuesday with some editorialists writing that it could threaten the current hierarchy of Catholic Church bishops in Germany Conservative Die Welt notes that the Tebartz-van Elst situation creates a fundamental problem for the country's bishops: Of course they'd be happy if Tebartz was out of the picture soon it could be the start of a dangerous development for them -- one that could shake the understanding of church office and weaken the position of Catholic dignitaries in the long run Catholic bishops are neither managers nor politicians even if their careers do involve some similar tasks Their spiritual and worldly responsibilities are derived from God and not from the trust of a supervisory board or the will of voters … So the church places very high barriers for bishops stepping down early or being removed from office." bishops have never had to adhere to the laws of a media democracy No matter how severely they have been criticized "If Tebartz-van Elst loses his job because the public pressure becomes too much and not because the church apparatus made the decision then the church would be bending to public anger That's why the German bishops are avoiding taking any clear positions They know this could become a first breach in the dike that would threaten them If critics continue for long enough to lash out at church representatives there's a chance the church will let them fall This is a message the bishops want to avoid at all costs." Perhaps the criticism of this bishop wouldn't have been as radical without this pope in Germany particularly … Without this new pope Tebartz-van Elst might have been considered the fitting spiritual specimen of a church that preaches water but drinks wine and that veils its self-love and its egoism with fine talk of the love of God the criticism of the little parish prince would have died down pretty quickly … But the criticism isn't fading -- because the pope and the demands he is making of the church are an indictment of the very system Tebartz-van Elst embodies." whose message is in stark contrast to the pomp of the church hierarchy This is the Franciscan message the pope has heralded The excesses and untruths of this German bishop now raise doubts about this course That makes the frivolous antics of this bishop so dangerous for the pope." "This is not just about the bishop as a person He is just one eccentric albeit mediocre representative of a system in which money possessions and wealth have been and still remain important The bishop is now a risk factor for this system He draws attention to the peculiarities of an apparatus that not only allowed Tebartz to become bishop but also gave him the power to do what he likes without any limits or control -- because this is how the Catholic hierarchy is constructed Other bishops are smart enough to refrain from exercising this power to act reservedly and listen to advisory boards." Center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: "There was no length to which Tebartz-van Elst and his general vicar didn't go to evade showing the supposed meddlers the exact financing of the €31 million bishop's headquarters They stripped the cathedral chapter of power installed a diocesan finance council whose members had to agree to secrecy and outsourced the bookkeeping to an external auditing firm … With an energy that could almost be described as criminal the bishop and his helpers have ignored every single legal hurdle and appear to have defended themselves against guileless controllers right up to the end But this could have legal consequences for all involved because a third of the assets the diocese has built up over almost two centuries has been squandered within just three years." Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst is pictured on a Ryanair flight from Germany to Rome on Sunday.