Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop of Mexico, was born on 9 January 1950 in Tepic, Mexico. He studied at the seminary of Tepic, continuing at the seminary of Montezuma in the United States of America, and Tula. Subsequently he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute and a Doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on 22 April 1973.

He subsequently served as parish vicar; rector of the seminary of Tepic and at the same time chairman of the Organization of Mexican Seminars (OSMEX), and member of the Executive Council of Latin American Seminaries. He was then rector of the John XXIII residence for priests at the Pontifical University of Mexico, and professor of Sacred Scripture in the same University.

On 28 May 1997, he was appointed bishop of Texcoco and received episcopal ordination on the following 29 June.

On 5 February 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Metropolitan Archbishop of Tlalnepantla.

From 2006 to 2012 he was president of the Episcopal Conference of Mexico, having served as secretary general from 2004 to 2006.

He has held several positions in CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council): secretary general from 2000 to 2003; first vice-president from 2003 to 2007, and then president from 2011 to 2015.

Pope Francis called him to participate in both assemblies of the Synod of Bishops on the family in October 2014 and in October 2015.

On 7 December 2017, he was nominated Archbishop of Mexico.

He was created and proclaimed cardinal by Pope Francis in the Consistory of 19 November 2016, and was assigned the titular church Santi Fabiano e Venanzio a Villa Fiorelli.

Member of:

·     Pontifical Commission for Latin America;

·     Dicastery for Culture and Education.