Pope Leo XIV appoints Mario León Dorado as Coadjutor Archbishop of Rabat

Pope Leo XIV appointed Mario León Dorado as coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Rabat on September 12. A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Dorado previously served as the apostolic prefect for the Western Sahara.

As coadjutor archbishop, Dorado holds the right of succession to the see. He has been serving as the apostolic administrator of the Rabat archdiocese since August. This temporary leadership began after the local ordinary, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, withdrew from public and pastoral activities following a Church investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior toward adult women.

In a letter to the clergy and members of the archdiocese, López Romero stated he had requested a coadjutor from Pope Francis in late 2024 and again from Pope Leo XIV in October 2025. While the letter did not mention the allegations, López Romero noted he is waiting to be heard by the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples to explain himself regarding the investigation.

Dorado expressed that he accepted the appointment with joy and humility, asking the Catholic community in Rabat to support him with prayers.