Francisco Robles Ortega

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Francisco Cardinal Robles Ortega
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Monterrey|

Francisco Cardinal Robles Ortega (born March 2, 1949) is a Mexican prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Monterrey, having previously served as Bishop of Toluca from 1996 to 2003, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.

Biography

Francisco Robles Ortega was born in Mascota, as the third of the sixteen children of Francisco Robles Arreola (b. 1917) and Teresa Ortega de Robles (b. 1927). He studied humanities at the minor seminary in Autlán, philosophy at the seminary in Guadalajara, and theology at the seminary in Zamora.

Robles was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop José Vásquez Silos on July 20, 1976, and then studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome until 1979, obtaining his licentiate in theology. Upon his return to Mexico, he served as vicar general of Autlán and taught philosophy and theology at its seminary. He was made diocesan administrator of Autlán following the death of Bishop Vásquez Silos in July 1990.

On April 30, 1991, Robles was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Toluca and Titular Bishop of "Bossa" by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 5 from Bishop Alfredo Torres Romero, with Bishops José Hernández González and Javier Lozano Barragán serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral of Toluca.

Robles was later named diocesan administrator of Toluca following the death of Bishop Torres Romero on October 15, 1995. He finally became Bishop of Toluca on June 15, 1996, and was installed on July 15 of that same year. On January 25, 2003, he was advanced to Archbishop of Monterrey.

Pope Benedict XVI created him Cardinal Priest of "S. Maria della Presentazione" in the consistory of November 24, 2007. Robles will be eligible to participate in any future papal conclaves until he reaches the age of eighty on March 2, 2029.

External links

* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios2007.htm#Robles Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brobleso.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=271 Catholic-pages]