Pope Francis removed him from the exercise of his episcopal office on 23 October 2013 and on 26 March 2014 accepted his resignation as Bishop of Limburg, following a long-standing public dispute about the costs and financing of a diocesan construction project.

Tebartz-van Elst is the second of five children born on 20 November 1959 to a farming family in Twisteden, near the Catholic pilgrimage village of Kevelaer in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In 1999, Kamphaus had refused to follow a Vatican instruction that Catholic organisations cease cooperation with medical clinics that issue referrals for abortions.

Citing broken trust, the bishop removed Kollas from an administrative appointment within the diocese, while leaving him as parish priest of his local church in Wetzlar.

[5] In 2012 Der Spiegel reported that Tebartz-van Elst's and a travel companion flew to India in first class earlier that year, contradicting the Catholic Church's position on personal austerity.

Tebartz-van Elst sued the magazine and swore in affidavits submitted to the court that he had travelled in business class using accumulated bonus miles.

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, chair of the German Bishops' Conference warned that the Limburg scandal was affecting the Catholic Church throughout Germany and said he would discuss that impact with Pope Francis.

[28] After obtaining the report from the German Bishops commission, the state attorney in Limburg was examining whether Tebartz van-Elst's actions constituted a criminal offence.

[32][33] For several months in 2015, Apostolic Administrator Grothe and other officials of the Limburg diocese sought to hold Tebartz-van Elst personally liable for the construction costs.

In September, the Holy See announced following discussions between Grothe, the Congregation for Bishops, and the Secretariat of State, that the diocese would not initiate legal proceedings against Tebartz-van Elst.