Vatican Gives Temporary Control of Rabat, Morocco, Archdiocese to Delegate as Inquiry Into Alleged Abuse by Cardinal López Romero Continues

In July 2025, France Press, according to reports carried by several outlets, said at least five women had accused Cardinal Cristobal López Romero, Archbishop of Rabat, of sexual assault. One version, from the Arabic edition of Euronews dated July 7, said the accusations had led the Vatican to open an investigation. Another, from kifache.com, said AFP first disclosed the allegations on July 8 and described them as sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior. The reports differ on that first-disclosure date, and this article does not resolve the discrepancy.

One of the women, a retired woman who had worked in the church, told France Press that she had been subjected to repeated sexual abuse. She did not give the agency permission to disclose details of her testimony, and none are reported here. Protecting the privacy of someone who has come forward with an account of abuse, and who has not consented to its disclosure, is a matter of care for the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Several reports describe Vatican action in the days that followed, though they differ in detail. Euronews reported that López Romero was temporarily dismissed from his duties on Tuesday, July 7, without naming the authority in that sentence. Kifache.com reported that the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples had entrusted Father Mario Leon Durado with temporarily managing the Archdiocese of Rabat, and that the cardinal had been suspended from his duties pending the outcome of the Vatican’s inquiry. A separate report from goud.ma said the Vatican had announced on a Saturday that Pope Leo XIV had appointed Father Mario León Dorado as associate archbishop of the Rabat-Kood parish, and that López Romero had been removed from his duties at the head of that parish pending an initial Vatican investigation. These accounts name different offices and titles, and the spelling of the priest’s surname varies between them.

In a statement obtained by AFP, the archbishop said he remains the honorary Archbishop of Rabat but is suspended from performing his duties. The statement, as reported, does not address the specific allegations in the same terms.

A later report, dated April 2026 by alwasat.ly, said López Romero had announced he was temporarily suspended from official duties after allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct were made public. That report, citing the France Press Agency, said the agency had relied on documents and sources close to the case, and that at least five women had filed complaints against the cardinal. The same report described the matter as “charges,” and goud.ma stated that the cardinal had been charged with sexual assault. Other reports describe allegations and complaints. No source in this material reports a criminal conviction, a plea, a civil judgment, or a settlement.

López Romero, a Spanish-born bishop who is 74 years old, has served in Rabat since 2018. According to the April 2026 report, he denied that any assault, violence, or sexual harassment had been committed.