California Chaldean Bishop Steps Down After $270K Embezzlement Charges

A Chaldean Catholic bishop in California has resigned after being charged with stealing more than $270,000 from his parish. Bishop Emanuel Shaleta was arrested at San Diego airport while attempting to leave the country and faces 16 felony charges.

A California religious leader has stepped down from his position after facing serious criminal charges for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his church community.

Bishop Emanuel Shaleta of the Chaldean Catholic Church submitted his resignation this week following his arrest on charges of taking more than $270,000 from parish funds. Pope Leo XIV officially accepted and announced the resignation on Tuesday.

Law enforcement officials apprehended the 69-year-old Shaleta at San Diego International Airport last week as he attempted to depart the United States, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

District Attorney Joel Madero stated that the allegations center around financial misconduct at St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral located in El Cajon, just east of San Diego. However, Shaleta’s legal representative maintains that the accusations are without merit.

The religious leader’s background spans continents and decades of service. Born in Faysh Kahbur, a small Iraqi town near the Tigris River and Syrian border, Shaleta began his religious education at just 15 years old. He completed his seminary training at St. John Minor Seminary near Mosul and later at Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, where Pope John Paul II ordained him in 1984.

Following his doctoral studies in biblical theology, church officials transferred him to America, where he ministered in Illinois, Michigan, and California. Pope Francis elevated him to bishop of the Canadian Eparchy of Mar Addai of Toronto in 2015, then appointed him to lead the Bishop of Saint Peter Apostle of San Diego position in 2017.

According to prosecutor Madero, the criminal allegations involve monthly rental payments exceeding $30,000 from a church social hall tenant, with investigators discovering irregularities in the parish’s financial records.

While court documents containing specific details remain sealed, the San Diego District Attorney’s office has filed 16 felony charges against Shaleta – eight for embezzlement and eight for money laundering.

The bishop has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

Speaking during a recent church service, Shaleta declared he has never “abused any penny of the church money.”

If found guilty on all counts, Shaleta could receive up to 15 years in prison, prosecutors said. Court proceedings will continue with a preliminary hearing set for April 27.

The Chaldean Church issued an official response stating that Vatican officials are conducting their own investigation and that “all perspectives are being taken seriously and require careful review, proper documentation, and time so that the truth may be fully and fairly discerned.”

Local clergy from the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle have publicly supported Shaleta and requested prayers for their religious community during this difficult time.

The Chaldean Catholic Church represents one of 23 Eastern branches of Catholicism that maintain communion with the Pope while preserving distinct customs and traditions. Unlike the more familiar Roman Catholic Church, these Eastern branches follow their own liturgical practices while adhering to core Catholic doctrine.

This particular branch serves over one million Aramaic-speaking Christians worldwide and traces its origins to the Apostle Thomas in what is now modern-day Iraq. The church’s main headquarters continues to operate from Baghdad.

Within the United States, the Chaldean Community Foundation estimates approximately half a million members of Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic communities, with major populations concentrated in Arizona, California, and Illinois.

Vatican officials revealed Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV had actually approved Shaleta’s resignation back in February but delayed the public announcement to avoid interfering with the ongoing criminal investigation. The Pope has appointed Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop to serve as interim administrator.

In a notable coincidence, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the head of the global Chaldean church, announced his retirement on March 9, with the Pope making both departures public simultaneously.

Church officials have not indicated whether the two resignations are related.

The 76-year-old Sako explained that he initially discussed retirement with Pope Francis in 2024, but Francis urged him to continue serving. Sako said he renewed his retirement request with Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday, and this time it was accepted.

Sako emphasized that he was stepping down “of my own will” to focus on prayer, writing, and simple service. His tenure had been marked by occasional conflicts with Iraqi political leaders, and his departure comes amid escalating regional tensions as the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran has affected Iraq and surrounding nations.

Prior to his retirement, Sako penned a message to San Diego area parishioners, encouraging them to maintain unity and approach this “exceptionally painful situation” with “a compassionate, faithful heart, far from the spirit of revenge.”

“Let the legal procedures take their course in revealing the truth and upholding justice,” Sako advised in his letter.