Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Archbishop emeritus of Valladolid (Spain), was born in Villaneuva del Campillo (Avila) on 13 April 1942. He studied in the minor and major seminaries of Avila (1955-1967), obtaining a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1967-1972). He was ordained a priest on 18 February 1967.

From 1972 to 1974 he served as secretary of the Theological Institute of Avila. From 1974-1988 as professor and then from 1978-1981 as dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Salamanca. He was the Great Chancellor of the same Pontifical University from 2000 to 2004.

He was elected auxiliary of Santiago de Compostela and assigned the titular see of Germa di Galazia on 8 April 1988, and received episcopal consecration on 29 May 1988.

On 26 May 1992 he transferred to Palencia.

On 8 September 1995 he was appointed bishop of Bilbao.

On 13 March 2010 he was nominated metropolitan archbishop of Valladolid by Pope Benedict XVI. From 17 June 2022, Archbishop emeritus of Valladolid.

He has served on various commissions within the Bishops’ Conference of Spain including the Doctrine of the Faith, the Liturgical Commission and the Commission for Interconfessional Relations.

He was also elected in 2014 President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, a role he previously held from 2005 to 2008. He served as Vice-President from 2008 to 2014.

As President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference he participated in the Third Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the family (October 2014) and in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015). In 2011 he had participated in the XIII Ordinary General Assembly on “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”.

He has collaborated in the drafting of numerous documents for the Spanish Episcopal Conference and published many books and articles on theology.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 14 February 2015, of the Title of Santa Maria in Vallicella.