Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Tegucigalpa (Honduras), was born on 29 December 1942 in Tegucigalpa. He was ordained for the Salesians on 28 June 1970 and holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, and a diploma in clinical psychology and psychotherapy from Leopold Franz University, Innsbruck.

He taught chemistry, physics and music at various Salesian colleges in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala and was professor of moral theology and ecclesiology at the Salesian Theological Institute, Guatemala, and rector of the Salesian Philosophical Institute in the same country.

On 28 October 1978 he was appointed titular Bishop of Pudentiana and Auxiliary of Tegucigalpa, receiving episcopal ordination on 8 December. 

He was promoted to Archbishop of Tegucigalpa on 8 January 1993 and was President of CELAM (1995-1999).

He is currently President of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras.

From 2007 to 2015 he was President of Caritas Internationalis.

On 13 April 2013 he was made a coordinator of the Council of cardinals established to advise Pope Francis in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia,‘Pastor Bonus’.

He participated in the conclave of April 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI and in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

On 26 January 2023 the Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Tegucigalpa presented by His Eminence Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the St. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of Santa Maria della Speranza (Our Lady of Hope).

Member of:

• Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.