Jornal Do Brasilia - Cardinal tipped to be pope accused of molesting several women

Spanish-born Cristobal Lopez Romero, 74, the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, denies wrongdoing.

One woman who said he molested her made a written complaint about the cardinal in May to the Vatican embassy in Morocco, which AFP has seen.

She accused him of "particularly insistent and prolonged hugs" and "an attempt at physical intimacy that could be likened to an attempt" to kiss her, which she said she "barely managed" to avoid.

A church source in the archdiocese said at least five accounts describing similar incidents have been brought to its attention.

Lopez admitted he had been "accused of inappropriate behaviour towards adult women. This situation has led the Church to open a preliminary investigation," he added in a written reply to AFP.

"I have committed neither assault nor violence nor sexual harassment," he insisted.

- Jovial 'street priest' -

But the archdiocese source condemned "a culture of complicity and silence" among those around the cardinal, accusing them of helping to protect him.

The source told AFP that "close associates" who have known the cardinal for years reported similar behaviour when he was a missionary in South America.

Lopez was known as a jovial "street priest" working with the poor and later became a leader of his missionary Salesian order in Paraguay, Bolivia and in Spain.

After the death of Pope Francis in April last year, Lopez had been hailed by some Vatican watchers and "not a few of his fellow cardinals", according to the influential Catholic website Crux, as "a potential Successor of Peter".

The National Catholic Review said his "personal biography of bridge-building cultures and continents" could make him "a compelling contender for the church's top job".

But he pulled out of the conclave to replace Francis last year just four days before the voting, saying he had "absolutely no ambition" to be pope, and "if I am elected, I will flee to Sicily."

The cardinal's deputy, Vicar General Marc Helfer, told AFP that the Church's internal bodies should be allowed to conduct their investigation before Lopez's shock statement on Tuesday.

"We do not know whether (the reported acts) really amount to sexual assault," he said. "We are not covering up for anyone," he insisted.

However, he questioned "the relevance" of maintaining Lopez "in his office" in an October document, which was sent to Papal Nuncio Alfred Xuereb last month with a complaint from another alleged victim who said the cardinal sexually assaulted her several times, the woman told AFP.

The Catholic Church has been dogged by child abuse by paedophile priests for decades, with Pope Francis -- who vowed to tackle the "culture of abuse" -- criticised for not doing enough to stop cover-ups.

Marie Collins, an Irish victim he appointed to the Vatican commission to tackle the problem, resigned after three years in 2017 claiming senior clerics were still putting "other concerns" before the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

- Letters told of sexual abuse -

Nadia Debbache, a Moroccan lawyer specialising in sexual violence, said the acts the cardinal is accused of could amount to "aggravated sexual harassment and aggravated sexual assault... the aggravating factor being the abuse of authority by their alleged perpetrator."

Although no criminal complaints have as yet been made in Morocco, the courts there impose heavier sentences in such crimes when they are committed by a person in a position of authority, according to Debbache.

They can also punish failure to report a crime or attempted crime, the lawyer added.

Another source who requested anonymity sent AFP four letters addressed to the nunciature and to the Vatican's doctrinal office referring to allegations of "sexual abuse by clergy, including by Father Cristobal himself."

The source said Lopez had recently requested the appointment of an eventual successor, suggesting he was contemplating a transition before his mandatory retirement at the age of 75, in 2027.

But Nuncio Xuereb said that would be "normal practice" given his age.

He told AFP that "the presumption of innocence must be preserved... until the facts are established by the competent authorities."

J.L. de Oliveira--JDB