The Vatican announced March 10 that the pope had accepted the resignations of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako and Bishop Emanuel Shaleta one day after the bishop entered an initial plea of “not guilty” on money laundering and embezzlement charges in a California court following his arrest Friday.
As recently as last month, Sako attempted to arrange a transfer for the embattled bishop to a high-ranking position within the Chaldean Church’s curia, despite allegations of criminal financial and personal misconduct by the bishop.
The Pillar has previously reported that Shaleta offered his resignation as leader of the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle in January, following a Vatican ordered investigation into allegations of financial crimes by the bishop. The eparchy encompasses all Chaldean Catholics in the western half of the United States.
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