Vatican Gives Temporary Control of Archdiocese of Rabat, Morocco, to Delegate Amid Inquiry Into Allegations Against Suspended Cardinal López Romero

In July 2025, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that at least five women had accused Cardinal Cristobal López Romero, Archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior. One report says AFP first disclosed the allegations on July 8, while a Euronews Arabic report dated July 7 already described them as an investigation by France Press. The accusations led the Vatican to open an inquiry into the matter.

The cardinal suspended his duties pending the outcome of that inquiry. In a statement obtained by AFP, he said he remains the honorary Archbishop of Rabat but is suspended from performing his duties. Euronews reported that the cardinal temporarily dismissed López Romero from his duties on Tuesday, 7 July, though the wording of that report is unclear about who took that step. Another report said that Father Cristobal López Romero had been removed from his duties at the head of a parish pending an initial Vatican investigation.

The Vatican’s response also appears differently across the reports. One report says the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples entrusted Father Mario Leon Durado with temporarily managing the Archdiocese of Rabat. A later report says the Vatican announced on a Saturday that Pope Leo XIV had appointed Father Mario León Dorado as Associate Archbishop of the “Rabat-Kood parish.” The reports differ on the spelling of the priest’s surname, on his title, and on the body that made the appointment, and the sources available do not resolve these differences.

A retired woman who had worked in the church said she had been subjected to repeated sexual abuse. She did not give France Press permission to disclose details of her testimony, so those details are not part of the public record in these reports.

A report dated April 2026 describes the cardinal as a 74-year-old Spanish-born bishop who has served in Rabat since 2018. It says he announced that he was temporarily suspended from official duties after the revelation of charges alleging sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. The report says AFP cited documents and sources close to the case. Another report from the same period states that he was charged with sexual assault, so the reports describe the charges in different terms. None of the reports describes a court verdict, plea, or settlement. Serious allegations of this kind call for a fair and transparent process, in which the accused is presumed innocent and the accusers are treated with care (Proverbs 18:17).

The cardinal has denied that any assault, violence, or sexual harassment was committed. According to AFP, at least five women have filed complaints against him.