Pope Leo XIV on Saturday appointed Father Mario León Dorado as coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Rabat, weeks after he was assigned to temporarily oversee the diocese amid an ongoing investigation into allegations against its current archbishop, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero.
According to a statement from the Apostolic Nunciature in Morocco, Dorado, apostolic administrator of the Apostolic Prefecture of Laayoune, was appointed to temporarily oversee the Archdiocese of Rabat on Aug. 1.
His new appointment as coadjutor archbishop means he will serve alongside the current archbishop and, under the role’s provisions, succeed him as head of the archdiocese when the current archbishop’s tenure ends.
The appointment comes more than two months after Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero announced that he was stepping back from the administration of the Archdiocese of Rabat following allegations of sexual violence made against him by five women.
López Romero subsequently traveled to Spain, while Dorado was tasked with temporarily managing the archdiocese pending the outcome of an investigation into the allegations.
The Archdiocese of Rabat said earlier this month that the investigation remained ongoing. Representatives handling the case traveled to the Moroccan capital in August and heard testimony from the women who made the allegations, as well as from other individuals who chose to provide statements.
During his temporary assignment, Dorado assumed responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the archdiocese.
Dorado, 52, was born in Madrid on March 16, 1974. He was ordained a priest in 2001 and moved to Laayoune in 2004.
He became administrator of the Apostolic Prefecture of Laayoune in 2009 and was appointed apostolic prefect in 2013. He was assigned to temporarily oversee the Archdiocese of Rabat on Aug. 1, 2026.
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