Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop Charged With Embezzlement

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California. The announcement came from the Vatican on Tuesday following Shaleta's arrest on charges of embezzlement and money laundering.

The bishop pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges during his arraignment in a California court on Monday. Among those present were many of his supporters. Shaleta is accused of embezzling $270,000 from the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon.

Shaleta was detained on March 5 at San Diego International Airport while attempting to leave the country and subsequently jailed. The San Diego County Sheriff's office reported that they acted based on a statement and documentation provided by someone from Shaleta's church, which indicated potential embezzlement.

The judge set bail at $125,000 and seized Shaleta’s passport. Prosecutor Joel Madero argued that Shaleta was a flight risk due to his access to funds and international ties. However, Shaleta’s attorney contended that the trip was pre-planned and not an attempt to flee.

During a recent Mass, Shaleta addressed the allegations against him, asserting he had never 'abused any penny of the church money.' He stated, 'On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations of the church properly.' His lawyer, Sharon Appelbaum, plans to demonstrate that the allegations are false. The priests of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle released a statement in solidarity with Shaleta.

Madero alleged that the charges against Shaleta were related to missing monthly rental payments exceeding $30,000 from a tenant of the church's social hall. He claimed there were discrepancies in church accounts and that Shaleta provided unreasonable explanations for the missing funds without proof.

The Vatican announced in its daily bulletin on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under canon law for Eastern Rite churches, which permits the pope to accept a bishop's request to step down. The resignation was reportedly presented by Shaleta in February but only announced on Tuesday. The Holy See appears to have delayed the announcement to avoid interfering with the police investigation.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984 and named to the San Diego branch of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church in the U.S. in 2017.

Additionally, Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sako retired as patriarch of the global Chaldean Catholic Church on March 9. In a statement, Sako said he freely offered his resignation to Pope Leo XIV and was leaving 'of my own will' to pursue prayer, writing, and simple service. It remains unclear if Shaleta's resignation and Sako's retirement are connected.