Pope Leo Names Successor-In-Waiting For Moroccan Archbishop Facing S£xual ∆ssault Allegations
Pope Leo Names Successor-In-Waiting For Moroccan Archbishop Facing Sexual Assault Allegations
The appointment comes weeks after allegations of sexual violence and inappropriate behaviour against Romero emerged, prompting the cardinal to step aside while a Vatican investigation into the accusations is conducted.
Pope Leo XIV has officially named Father Mario Leon Dorado as successor-in-waiting to the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, who is being investigated over allegations of sexual assault against him.
The Vatican announced on Saturday in a statement that Dorado had been appointed the Moroccan archdiocese’s “coadjutor archbishop”, a position that allows a church official to assist a sitting archbishop while also providing for automatic succession if the incumbent retires or dies.
The appointment comes weeks after allegations of sexual violence and inappropriate behaviour against Romero emerged, prompting the cardinal to step aside while a Vatican investigation into the accusations is conducted.
Dorado, a 52-year-old Spanish priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, has spent nearly 25 years serving in Western Sahara, where he eventually became apostolic prefect.
In August, he was appointed Rabat’s apostolic administrator, a position responsible for provisionally governing a diocese when its sitting bishop is “impeded or suspended”.
The appointment followed revelations by AFP on July 8 that at least five women had accused Romero of sexual violence and inappropriate behaviour.
Romero had previously been regarded as one of the prominent cardinals who could potentially succeed Pope Francis, who died in 2025.
The allegations have not, however, resulted in a formal complaint before Moroccan authorities.
The prosecutor’s office and police told AFP recently that no complaint had been filed with the Moroccan judiciary over the accusations.
Romero has denied the allegations.
Responding to AFP inquiries, the cardinal said he “committed neither assault nor violence nor sexual harassment”, while announcing that he was stepping aside pending the outcome of the Vatican investigation.
The Vatican’s decision to appoint Dorado as coadjutor archbishop now places him in line to take over the leadership of the Archdiocese of Rabat when Romero’s tenure ends or if he leaves office earlier.
Romero’s mandate as Archbishop of Rabat is officially scheduled to end in 2027.
Dorado’s new role follows his brief tenure as apostolic administrator, during which he assumed responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the archdiocese amid the controversy surrounding Romero.
The Vatican has also taken steps to investigate the allegations directly.
After Dorado was appointed apostolic administrator, two Vatican investigators travelled to Rabat to meet some of Romero’s alleged victims as well as members of the diocese.
The meetings formed part of the Vatican’s investigation into the allegations, which have placed the leadership of the Moroccan archdiocese under heightened scrutiny.
The appointment of Dorado as coadjutor archbishop therefore ensures continuity in the administration of the archdiocese while the investigation into Romero continues.
For now, Romero remains the sitting Archbishop of Rabat, but Dorado’s appointment gives the Vatican a clear succession arrangement as it addresses the allegations surrounding the cardinal.
