Summary
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta after his arrest for alleged financial crimes. Shaleta is charged with embezzlement and money laundering, but he denies the accusations. The charges relate to $270,000 allegedly embezzled from a church in El Cajon, California.
Key Facts
- Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta.
- Shaleta is accused of embezzling $270,000 from a church in El Cajon, California.
- He was arrested and charged with embezzlement and money laundering.
- Shaleta pleaded not guilty to the charges in a California court.
- Shaleta was a priest from the Chaldean Catholic Church since 1984 and served in San Diego starting in 2017.
- The resignation was accepted under canon law for Eastern Rite churches, which lets bishops step down if they ask.
- Shaleta claims he has never misused church funds and intends to prove the accusations are false.
