Pope Leo has fired a Catholic bishop in San Diego, California, Emanuel Hana Shaleta for allegedly stealing some $ 250, 000 from his congregation.
The Pope formally accepted his resignation following his arrest earlier this month on charges of stealing the church funds.
Reuters reported that “Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta had led the small Chaldean Catholic community in the California city since 2017.
He pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of embezzlement and money laundering at a hearing on Monday, according to local media reports.”
The offences were allegedly committed in 2024 and the Bishop was arrested at the airport as he was trying to flee the United States of America.
