Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta, who faces charges of laundering more than $270,000 from a small California parish and was recently arrested after he allegedly tried to leave the U.S.
Shaleta, 69, had been appointed by Pope Francis to serve as Bishop of the Saint Peter Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans in 2017. According to the parish’s website, Shaleta was born in Fishkabour-Zakho, Iraq.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that bishop Hana Shaleta was arrested on Thursday, March 5 at the San Diego International airport as he tried to fly out of the country.
The San Diego Country Sheriff’s Office informed that Shaleta stands accused of embezzling $270,000 from his parish, and explained that the accusations stem from someone in the church providing a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.
Prosecutor Joel Madero reportedly detailed that the allegations against the Catholic bishop are connected to missing monthly payments of more than $30,000 from a tenant of the church’s social hall. Madero noted that discrepancies were found in church accounts and that Shaleta “provided completely unreasonable tales of where that money was going.”
The priest’s lawyer, Sharon Appelbaum, denied the allegations and said she plans to show the claims against the Shaleta are “false.”
The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV accepted Bishop Shaleta’s resignation and appointed Saad Hanna Sirop, Titular Bishop of Hirta, as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Saint Peter Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans.
The Bishop reportedly denied the allegations during a February 22 Mass, during which he said he has never “abused any penny of the church money.”
“On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations of the church properly,” Shaleta said.
Italian outlets reported the Bishop claimed the allegations were a “part of a campaign against him” and asserted that the disputed funds allegedly came from “donations intended to directly help people in need” and that he personally had been responsible for the distribution of said funds.
In a brief statement, the Chaldean Diocese of San Diego noted that “some members” of the Diocese had filed complaints against Bishop Shaleta over mishandling of funds and “allegations of inappropriate relationships.”
“This information has circulated on social media platforms before all facts were fully clarified,” the statement read in part.
“Allegations or complaints require careful and objective review and should not be resolved outside of the appropriate process. The situation has prompted a range of responses from those who devote themselves to the diocese,” the statement continued. “All perspectives are being taken seriously and require careful review, proper documentation, and time so that the truth may be fully and fairly discerned.”
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