Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta, head of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St Peter the Apostle in California, following his arrest on charges of embezzlement and money laundering.
The Vatican announced the decision on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in its daily bulletin, without specifying a reason.
The resignation was submitted by the bishop in February but made public only this week, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington.
Bishop Shaleta, a Chaldean Catholic prelate originally from Iraq (born in 1956 and in the US since 1987), was arrested on March 5 at a US airport while attempting to leave the country.
He faces eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated white-collar crime enhancement.
Prosecutors allege he embezzled at least $270,000 (approximately €232,000) from church funds belonging to his diocese, based in the San Diego area (El Cajon).
The investigation began in August 2025 after a church member reported suspicions of financial misconduct.Bishop Shaleta pleaded not guilty to the charges during a court hearing on Monday.
He was held in San Diego Central Jail on $125,000 bail.The Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic rite in full communion with Rome, traces its roots to ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Iran), with Baghdad as its traditional center.
It has a significant diaspora community in the United States, particularly in California.
The Vatican also separately announced the acceptance of the resignation of Chaldean Patriarch Louis-Raphael Sako, though sources indicate no direct connection between the two cases.
Sako had previously discussed retirement around age 75 with former Pope Francis but was asked to continue.
The bishop's diocese released no immediate comment on the resignation, though some reports note expressions of solidarity from parish members during his court appearance.
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