California bishop is fired by Pope Leo after allegedly stealing $250K from his church, making several trips to Mexican brothels

Pope Leo XIV accepted Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta’s resignation from the pastoral care of the eparchy of Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans, United States of America, the Vatican announced, and the 69-year-old prelate was released from prison after posting $125,000 bail.

“The disgraced San Diego bishop accused of frequenting Mexican brothels and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his church was officially booted from his role by Pope Leo XIV”

California Post

Vatican officials said, "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."

California Post

The Vatican also noted the see is now in "sede vacante."

Bishop Emanuel Shaleta's resignation from his position at St. Peter the Apostle in San Diego was accepted on March 10, 2026.

Shaleta was arrested on March 6 at the San Diego International Airport when he attempted to board a flight to Germany with over $9,000 in his bag, officials claimed.

The 69-year-old prelate was charged with eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated white collar crime enhancement.

California Post

During his arraignment on Monday, Shaleta pleaded not guilty to 15 felony counts of financial crimes and remained behind bars at the San Diego County Jail after he was unable to post bail until Tuesday.

He was released after posting $125,000 bail, the Vatican announced.

Investigators were first tipped off to Shaleta’s alleged crimes in August 2025, when an official from St. Peter Chaldean Church in El Cajon shared statements and documents, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said.

“The disgraced San Diego bishop accused of frequenting Mexican brothels and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his church was officially booted from his role by Pope Leo XIV”

California Post

The Catholic news outlet the Pillar reported that the bishop allegedly diverted rental payments from church property for personal use and later covered his tracks with charity funds.

Investigators allegedly found at least $427,000 was missing from church finances, with the figure possibly reaching $1 million.

Shaleta denied the accusations, saying, "I have never — in my episcopal life — have I used any penny of the church money," and "On the contrary: I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations."

Alongside the missing money, reporting said Shaleta regularly traveled to a brothel named the Hong Kong Gentleman’s Club in Tijuana’s Zona Norte red-light district, and a private investigator documented him using a shuttle "exclusive to the club’s patrons" to visit the facility.

The brothel is located in Tijuana’s red-light district, an area long scrutinized by law enforcement and anti-trafficking organizations; Shaleta is not accused of any trafficking activity.

California Post

A large crowd of supporters appeared in court for Shaleta, with some advocates forced to sit outside the courtroom, and one vocal supporter was Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, the patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, who had called for Shaleta to be placed at the Chaldean Catholic Church’s headquarters in Baghdad despite the investigation.

In a simultaneous announcement, the Vatican also accepted Sako’s resignation as head of the Chaldean Catholic Church and said Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop will temporarily govern the see; Shaleta, an Iraqi native, was ordained a priest by Pope John Paul II in 1984, has held positions in Detroit and Canada, and was appointed eparchial bishop of Saint Peter Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans in 2017 by Pope Francis.