Shaolin Temple's former abbot gets 24 years in prison: Here's why

The former abbot of China’s famous Shaolin Temple has been sentenced to 24 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of 3.5 million yuan after he was found guilty of several offences.

For the unversed, an abbot is the spiritual and administrative head of a monastery or temple. The title derives from the Aramaic word abba, which translates to "father".

Some of the charges against the disgraced monk Shi Yongxin include:

• Misappropriation of funds
• Bribery
• Violation monastic vows

A court in central Henan province sentenced the former top monk at Shaolin Temple, whose real name is Liu Yingcheng, after determining that he used his position to embezzle funds.

Chinese state-run news agency CCTV reported the court order: “Shi’s crimes caused severely harmful consequences and adverse social impact.”

The outlet reported that Shi expressed remorse over his wrongdoings and voluntarily disclosed additional crimes that weren’t discovered by law enforcement officials.

He was also convicted of violating monastic vows by maintaining relationships with multiple women and even fathering a child.

Shi was put under investigation last year on suspicion of misappropriation and embezzlement of project funds and temple assets.