Catholic Church Sacks Bishop Accused of Stealing $250,000, Patronising Prostitutes
Catholic Church autourities in the Vatican have approved the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, a California, US based priest for stealing church funds to the tune of $250,000 and also spending time with prostitutes in a high-end Mexican brothel.
Pope Leo XIV approved the resignation of the bishop signaling and effective sack of the “ randy” priest.
The embattled priest who was the former head of the Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans was released from prison on Tuesday after meeting his $125,000 bail conditions.
In a statement confirming the sack of the priest, the Vatican stated that, “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.”
Bishop Shaleta had in January 2026 tendered his resignation letter to the pope after his indecent conduct was exposed.
He was arrested at San Diego International Airport on Friday, on his way to Germany, with over $9,000 in cash, according to the New York Post.
His arrest followed a tip received by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office from a church official in August last year detailing the prelate’s alleged illegal dealings.
The priest was subsequently charged with 15 felony counts relating to financial crimes, including embezzlement, money laundering and white-collar crime enhancement, but pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday.
Reports indicate that that Bishop Shaleta allegedly diverted money from the church’s property for personal use and later utilised charity funds to cover his tracks, with investigators said to have found at least $427,000 missing from the church’s finances and possibly up to $1 million.
Reports say that a private investigator found that the defendant was a regular customer at the Hong Kong Gentleman’s Club in Tijuana’s Zona Norte red-light district, Mexico.
Despite the accusations of embezzelement, the bishop insists on his innocence maintaining that, “ I have never, in my episcopal life, used any penny of the church money,”rather, “On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations.”
