US bishop’s airport escape attempt foiled as financial charges rock the church
Pope Leo XIV has officially accepted the resignation of Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta, the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, following Shaleta’s arrest on serious financial charges. This decision was announced by the Vatican on Tuesday, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
Shaleta was arrested on March 5 at San Diego International Airport, reportedly while attempting to leave the country. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office moved in after receiving a statement and documentation from someone within Shaleta’s own church, pointing to potential embezzlement. He’s currently being held on $125,000 bail and faces eight counts, including embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime.
During his arraignment in California on Monday, the US bishop pleaded not guilty to the embezzlement and money laundering charges. According to ABC News, the accusations allege he embezzled a hefty $270,000 from the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon.
Shaleta said he never ‘abused any penny of the church money’
Prosecutor Joel Madero specified that the charges relate to missing monthly rental payments, totaling over $30,000, from a tenant using the church’s social hall. Madero also noted discrepancies in church accounts, stating that Shaleta “provided completely unreasonable tales of where that money was going.”
Despite the allegations, Shaleta has publicly denied any wrongdoing. During a recent mass, he addressed the claims directly, stating that he has never “abused any penny of the church money.” He emphasized, “On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations of the church properly.”
His attorney, Sharon Appelbaum, has also stated her intention to demonstrate that the allegations are false. Interestingly, the priests of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle have released a statement expressing their solidarity with Shaleta.
It turns out that Pope Leo XIV actually accepted Shaleta’s resignation back in February, though the announcement was delayed until Tuesday. The Vatican embassy in Washington indicated that the Holy See likely waited to make the news public to avoid interfering with the ongoing police investigation. The resignation was accepted under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches, which allows the Pope to agree when a bishop asks to step down.
The bishop served the Catholic church for over four decades
Shaleta, who is 69, has a long history within the church. He was ordained a priest by Pope St. John Paul II in 1984. After completing his education, he was transferred to the Chaldean Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit, which was then the Chaldean Diocese of the United States.
He served at the parish of St. Paul in North Hollywood, California, from 1987 to 2000, and also had assignments in Michigan and Canada. Pope Francis appointed him to the San Diego branch of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church in the U.S. in 2017.
In the wake of these developments, Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator for the San Diego diocese. This ensures continuity for the church while the legal proceedings against Bishop Shaleta continue.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
