Mgr Cristóbal López Romero

Mgr Cristóbal López Romero is a Spanish-born prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the Archbishop of Rabat since March 2018. A member of the Salesians, he was dedicated to pastoral work in Paraguay while taking on administrative responsibilities within his order. He moved to Morocco in 2003, where he was Director of the Salesian community, of parish and scholastic pastoral care in the vocational training center in Kenitra. In December 2017, Pope Francis named him Archbishop of Rabat, and his episcopal consecration took place in March 2018. Anticipating Pope Francis’ visit in the spring of 2019, he described the Church in Morocco as “vibrant” and “young. He emphasized its international character, caring for migrants from countries south of the Sahara with Church personnel drawn from more than forty countries. In May 2019, Pope Francis named Cristóbal López Romero Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Tangier, and in October 2019, he made him Cardinal Priest of San Leone I. He was made a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in February 2020.