Leteng was born in Ruteng, on the western part of Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
Upon returning home to Indonesia, Leteng became a lecturer at his alma mater, Ledalero Catholic College, where he remained until his appointment as bishop over a decade later.
The priests accused Leteng of borrowing $94,000 from the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia and taking $30,000 from the Diocese of Ruteng, without providing accountability records.
Leteng claimed he was using the money to pay for the overseas education of a young local man, but refused to provide details.
Leteng was born on 1 January 1959 in the Taga area of Ruteng, Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
[3][4] Upon returning from his studies in Rome, Leteng joined the faculty of his alma mater, the Ledalero Catholic College of Philosophy.
[3] Leteng chose as his motto "Omnes vos fratres estis," Latin for "You are all brothers," a phrase taken from Chapter 23, verse 8, of the Gospel of Matthew.
[3][5] According to other priest-colleagues of his, Leteng chose the motto to express a theme of fraternity, in a culture in which "brotherhood" is often narrowly viewed as being just for one's family.
[2][6] In June 2016, Leteng proceeded at a Mass attended by 2,000 people in protesting a plan to construct a hotel on a 4.2-hectare (10-acre) beach favored by local residents.
[7] In April 2017, Leteng was vocal in opposing a mining project by a Chinese company at a popular tourist spot.
[8] He urged the Indonesian government to revoke the Chinese company's mining license and stop the project from proceeding, citing environmental, economic, and tourism concerns.
The burden of suffering and humiliation resulting from the negative news received him as a cross that must be borne both as a bishop and as a Christian believer...
The fallout from the allegations came to a climax in July 2017, when Leteng was once again accused of financial misdeeds in addition to carrying out an affair with a woman, thus breaking his vow of celibacy.
[14] On June 12, 69 priests, including parish pastors and episcopal vicars, resigned from their posts in protest of Leteng's leadership, demanding he change the way the diocese was being run.
[13] Four days after the mass resignation, priests of the diocese brought their concerns to Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Guido Filipazzi in a June 16 meeting in Jakarta.
On July 1, a statement, signed by 30 priests and laypeople, proposed that the best course of action was for the bishop to resign, and said that if he refused, the Holy See should fire him.
[20] In a piece published in Hidup, the Archdiocese of Jakarta's weekly magazine, Prior urged the Church to provide greater transparency, and called for due process to be respected.