Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, Metropolitan Archbishop of Guadalajara (Mexico), was born on 2 March 1949 in Mascota, Jalisco, Mexico. He was ordained a priest on 20 July 1976 and holds a degree in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

He began his pastoral ministry as parochial vicar, chaplain for women religious, spiritual director then rector at the minor seminary of Autlán, diocesan consultor and member of various commissions. He was vicar general of Autlán from 1985 to 1991.

John Paul II appointed him titular Bishop of Bossa and Auxiliary of Toluca on 30 April 1991, and he was ordained a bishop on 5 June that same year.

Upon the death of Bishop Alfredo Torres Romero in 1995 he was named diocesan administrator, and on 15 June 1996 he was appointed Bishop of Toluca. The Mexican Bishops chose him as one of two bishops to represent them at the Synod of Bishops’ Special Assembly for America held on 16 November – 12 December 1997.

On 25 January 2003, he was appointed Archbishop of Monterrey.

On 7 December 2011 he was appointed Archbishop of Guadalajara.

In November 2012 he became President of the Mexican Bishops' Conference.

He was President Delegate of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (7-28 October 2012), on the theme "The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith".

He participated in the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2014) on The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization and in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015).

He participated in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 24 November 2007, of the Title of Santa Maria della Presentazione (Saint Mary of the Presentation).

 Member of:

• Dicasteries: for Bishops; for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World;
• Pontifical Commission for Latin America.