A Catholic cardinal touted as one of the favourites to replace Pope Francis said he was "stepping back" from office Tuesday after an AFP investigation revealed at least five women had accused him of sexual assault. 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.