Spanish Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, who is also the Archbishop of ​Rabat, Morocco, has suspended himself after being ‌accused of molesting women, the Vatican said on its own news site.

"I am accused of inappropriate behaviour ​toward adult women," Lopez Romero said ​in a statement published by Vatican News ⁠on Tuesday, adding that the situation had ​prompted the Catholic Church to open a preliminary ​investigation.

News of the accusations was first reported by AFP on Tuesday. In an investigation, the French news ​agency said that at least five women ​had accused the 74-year-old prelate of sexual assault.

AFP quoted Lopez ‌Romero ⁠as saying: "I have committed neither assault nor violence nor sexual harassment."

The cardinal pledged to fully cooperate with the Vatican investigation, and said ​that to ​avoid interfering ⁠with it, he would refrain from presiding over public celebrations and ​participating in pastoral activities.

Lopez Romero has ​been ⁠a cardinal since 2019 and Archbishop of Rabat since 2018. He is considered a relative progressive ⁠within ​the Catholic hierarchy, and ​was seen as a potential papal candidate in last year's ​conclave.

-Reuters