Vatican appoints coadjutor archbishop in Rabat as López Romero faces investigation into sexual violence allegations
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Mario León Dorado as coadjutor archbishop of Rabat, with automatic right of succession, as Cardinal López Romero is sidelined.
Succession prepared in Rabat following accusations against Cardinal López Romero
According to atlasinfo.fr, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Mario León Dorado as coadjutor archbishop of the archdiocese of Rabat, with automatic right of succession, whilst the serving archbishop, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, remains sidelined pending the conclusions of a Vatican inquiry into allegations of sexual violence.
A coadjutor archbishop is a bishop designated to assist the serving incumbent, with the particular feature that he will automatically succeed him as head of the archdiocese as soon as the latter retires or dies. The Vatican statement, issued on Saturday 12 September, presents Father Dorado as a Spanish priest aged 52, a member of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate (OMI), who has been serving since 2013 as apostolic prefect in southern Morocco.
Accusations revealed in July
On 8 July, the AFP revealed that at least five women had accused Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero of sexual violence and inappropriate behaviour. López Romero was then among the cardinals regarded as potential successors to Pope Francis, who died in 2025 after leading the Church since 2013. At that point, no complaint had been filed with Moroccan justice authorities, according to information provided by the prosecutor's office and police to the AFP.
The cardinal, a Spanish prelate aged 74 whose mandate as head of the archdiocese of Rabat was officially due to end in 2027, had stated to the agency that he had "committed neither assault nor violence nor sexual harassment", whilst announcing he was withdrawing whilst a preliminary inquiry was conducted by the Vatican.
Transition begun in August
In early August, Father Dorado had already been appointed apostolic administrator, tasked with ensuring the interim management of the archdiocese of Rabat pending the conclusions of the Vatican inquiry. Shortly after, two investigators dispatched by the Vatican travelled to Rabat in order to hear some of the alleged victims as well as several members of the diocese, including two of the women who had testified to the AFP and a whistleblower.
Source: Google News MA