Pope Accepts Resignation of US Bishop Arrested for Financial Crimes
The bishop of a small Chaldean Catholic community in the San Diego area has resigned following charges of embezzling $270,000 from his parish. Bishop Emanuel Shaleta pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges, including money laundering, and his passport was seized after he was arrested attempting to leave the country. While the Vatican announced the acceptance of his resignation, it was initially granted in February to avoid interfering with the ongoing police investigation. The allegations stem from missing monthly rental payments from the church’s social hall, with prosecutors citing discrepancies in church accounts and the bishop’s “unreasonable tales” of where the money went.
John Q. Hosedrinker