By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
The Vatican has sacked a California-based Catholic bishop, Emanuel Hana Shaleta, after accepting his resignation amid allegations that he misappropriated more than $250,000 from church funds and secretly visited a brothel in Mexico.
The resignation was approved by Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday, the same day the former head of the Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans was released from prison after meeting bail conditions set at $125,000.
“The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the eparchy of Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans, United States of America, presented by Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta,” the Vatican said in a statement.
Shaleta had earlier submitted his resignation letter to the pope in January.
The cleric was arrested at San Diego International Airport on Friday while preparing to travel to Germany, with authorities reportedly finding more than $9,000 in cash on him at the time of his arrest.
His arrest followed a tip-off received by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office in August last year from a church official alleging illegal financial dealings.
Prosecutors subsequently charged the bishop with 15 felony counts linked to financial crimes, including embezzlement, money laundering and other white-collar offences. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday.
Investigators alleged that Shaleta diverted money from church property funds for personal use and later used charity funds to cover up the transactions. Authorities said at least $427,000 may be missing from the church’s accounts, with the figure potentially rising to as much as $1 million.
Reports also indicated that a private investigator found the bishop was a regular patron of the Hong Kong Gentleman’s Club in Tijuana’s Zona Norte red-light district in Mexico.
However, the embattled cleric has denied any wrongdoing. “I have never, in my episcopal life, used any penny of the church money,” Shaleta said. “On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations,” he added.
