Spanish Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, the archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, suspends himself from his duties following allegations of sexual assault. Multiple reports say the Vatican announced the suspension via its official news channels. The accusations, reported by a French news agency, involve at least five women who allege that the 74-year-old prelate sexually assaulted them.
In a statement published by Vatican News, López Romero says he is accused of “inappropriate behaviour toward adult women.” He indicates that the matter has led the Catholic Church to open a preliminary investigation, as described in the reporting. The accounts are consistent that the suspension is connected to the allegations and that the Church is examining the accusations through an initial investigatory process.
No source in the provided material establishes the allegations as proven. The reports focus on the steps announced by Church authorities—López Romero’s self-suspension and the start of a preliminary investigation—while noting the number of accusers cited by the investigative reporting.
