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Marrakech – At least five women have accused Cristobal Lopez Romero, the Archbishop of Rabat, of sexual violence, prompting the Vatican to open a formal investigation into one of the Catholic Church’s most prominent cardinals.
The 74-year-old Spanish clergyman announced on Tuesday that he would step back from all public duties while the inquiry proceeds. But he denied the allegations.
The accusations came to light through an investigation by Agence France-Presse. AFP interviewed a retired woman active within the church who reported repeated sexual assaults but did not authorize the agency to disclose the details of her testimony at this stage.
AFP also reviewed the written testimony of another woman, addressed to the apostolic nunciature – the Vatican’s embassy in the Moroccan capital.
She accused the cardinal of “physical gestures” she “perceived as inappropriate,” including “particularly forceful and prolonged embraces” and an attempted physical advance she described as an effort to kiss her, which she reported escaping “with great difficulty.”
A source within the diocese also informed AFP that at least three other women had reported “similar incidents.” Some of those accounts were shared during confession.
Contacted about the allegations, the archbishop told AFP he had “responded to his ecclesiastical superiors.” He pledged to “fully cooperate with them in the investigation” and affirmed he had “committed neither aggression, nor violence, nor sexual harassment.”
In a separate communiqué addressed to the faithful of his diocese, the cardinal elaborated on his decision to step aside. “During this period of investigation, so as not to hinder it, I will step back, presiding over no public celebration and engaging in no pastoral activity,” he wrote.
The statement marked a dramatic turn for a clergyman who had long ranked among the church’s most visible figures. During the May 2025 conclave, multiple media outlets identified Lopez Romero among the most influential cardinals and described him as “papabile” – a term reserved for those considered the strongest contenders for the papacy.
According to sources within the Rabat diocese cited by La Croix, the archbishop reportedly acknowledged to his collaborators having maintained inappropriate affective relationships with several women. The same internal source indicated the Vatican had been investigating the matter since Easter and had requested that he withdraw from his duties.
The Holy See did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.
From papal contender to accused
Lopez Romero has led the Archdiocese of Rabat since 2017, overseeing a diocese where Christians represent roughly one percent of the population. He hails from Andalusia in southern Spain and previously served as a missionary in Paraguay. Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2019.
Cardinals, chosen by the pope, form the innermost circle of church leadership and assist in its governance. Those under 80 also vote in the conclave to elect a new pontiff.
No complaint has been filed with Moroccan authorities, the French news agency confirmed.
Nadia Debbache, a Moroccan lawyer specializing in sexual violence cases, noted that the acts the cardinal stands accused of could constitute “aggravated sexual harassment and aggravated sexual assault.” She identified the aggravating factor as “the abuse of authority by their alleged perpetrator.”
A member of the Salesians of Don Bosco – a Catholic religious order and congregation – Lopez Romero was ordained a priest in 1979 and holds degrees in philosophy and theology, along with a journalism diploma. He served as president of the Conference of Bishops of North Africa from 2022 to 2025 and joined the Vatican department for interreligious dialogue in 2020.
The allegations also recall another abuse case Lopez Romero handled within his jurisdiction. In 2024, the archbishop managed the case of Antoine Exelmans, a French priest stationed at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes in Casablanca.
Exelmans was suspected of committing sexual violence against several minor migrants between 2021 and 2024. The archbishop opened a canonical inquiry at the time, transmitted its conclusions to the Vatican, and addressed a letter to the faithful informing them of the priest’s conduct.
