Pope announces resignation of US bishop accused of embezzling $270K from California parish

Pope Leo XIV says a Chaldean Catholic bishop has resigned after he was arrested while trying to leave the U.S. following accusations that he embezzled $270,000 from his parish near San Diego. The resignation was announced Tuesday by the Vatican after Bishop Emanuel Shaleta was charged with 17 felonies including money laundering. Shaleta, who pleaded not guilty Monday, was arrested at San Diego International Airport last week. His lawyer says the allegations are false and that the flight was pre-planned. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office says the arrest came after someone from Shaleta’s church provided documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” The Chaldean Catholic Church represents more than a million Aramaic-speaking Christians.