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By Open Chronicle Staff March 11, 2026
VATICAN CITY / EL CAJON, CA — The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV has formally accepted the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, the head of a small but prominent Chaldean Catholic community in Southern California. The decision follows the Bishop’s high-profile arrest last week on charges of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his own parish.
AN AIRPORT ARREST
The scandal broke into the public eye last Thursday when Bishop Shaleta, 69, was detained by San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies at San Diego International Airport. Authorities allege the Bishop was attempting to leave the country as investigators were closing in.
On Monday, Shaleta pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges, including money laundering and grand theft. Prosecutors allege that the Bishop diverted approximately $270,000 (roughly S$343,300) from the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon for personal use.
UNREASONABLE TALES
According to Deputy District Attorney Joel Madero, the investigation began last August after a whistleblower from the church provided documentation showing massive discrepancies in church accounts. The missing funds are reportedly linked to monthly rental payments exceeding $30,000 from a tenant of the church’s social hall.
“The Bishop provided completely unreasonable tales of where that money was going,” Madero stated during the arraignment, adding that Shaleta could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
VATICAN RESPONSE
The Holy See’s daily bulletin confirmed that the Pope accepted the resignation under the Code of Canon Law for Eastern Rite churches. Notably, the Vatican Embassy in Washington revealed that the resignation was tendered and accepted in private in February, but the announcement was delayed to avoid interfering with the ongoing police investigation.
In a simultaneous move that has sent shockwaves through the global Chaldean community, Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sako also announced his retirement as Patriarch of the worldwide Chaldean Catholic Church. While Sako claimed he wishes to pursue “prayer and simple service,” it remains unclear if his departure is linked to the turmoil in the California eparchy.
A COMMUNITY DIVIDED
The St. Peter Chaldean Cathedral, which serves a significant population of Aramaic-speaking Iraqi Christians, remained shuttered Tuesday. Despite the gravity of the charges, dozens of supporters gathered at the courthouse this week to voice their solidarity with Shaleta.
Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop has been named as the temporary apostolic administrator to lead the diocese during what church historians are calling a “sad moment” for a community that has historically faced significant persecution.