Cardinal López Romero steps aside after sexual assault claims

A senior Catholic cardinal has suspended himself from public ministry following allegations of sexual assault by multiple women, prompting a preliminary Vatican investigation. Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, the 74-year-old Archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, announced his temporary withdrawal on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, after an investigation by Agence France-Presse detailed accusations from at least five women.

In a statement, López Romero acknowledged he is accused of inappropriate behavior toward adult women, a situation that led the Church to open an inquiry. He has pledged full cooperation. "I have committed neither assault nor violence nor sexual harassment," the cardinal said, asserting his innocence. To avoid interfering with the process, he stated he will refrain from presiding over public celebrations and participating in pastoral activities.

The allegations include detailed accounts from women who reported inappropriate physical contact. One written complaint, sent to the Vatican embassy in Rabat in May, accused the cardinal of "particularly insistent and prolonged hugs" and an attempt at physical intimacy that was likened to an attempted kiss. A source within the...