Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego after the cleric was arrested in the United States (US) on multiple financial crime charges, the Vatican confirmed on Tuesday.
The Vatican said the resignation of Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta was accepted under canon law provisions governing Eastern-rite churches, which allow a pope to approve a bishop’s request to step down.
Although the request was submitted in February, the decision was only made public this week.
US authorities said Shaleta, 69, was arrested on 5 March at San Diego International Airport as he attempted to leave the country.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said the arrest followed a complaint from within the church, supported by documents alleging possible embezzlement.
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Prosecutors have filed eight counts against the bishop, including embezzlement, money laundering, aggravated white-collar crime, and was being held on bail set at $125,000, according to officials.
Reports insisted that there was no immediate response to requests for comments sent to St Peter Chaldean Church, where Shaleta served, and no contact details were provided for his legal representation.
The Vatican’s diplomatic mission in Washington said the Holy See delayed announcing the resignation to avoid any perception of interference with the ongoing police investigation.
In the interim, Pope Leo has appointed Saad Hanna Sirop as apostolic administrator of the diocese.
Shaleta was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984 and was appointed bishop of the San Diego eparchy in 2017.