Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop emeritus of La Plata, was born on 18 July 1962 in the municipality of Alcira Gigena, in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. He received his formation at the major seminary of Córdoba. In 1988 he was awarded a licentiate in theology with biblical specialization at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, and in 1990 a doctorate in theology at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina.

On 21 December 1985 he was ordained a deacon, and on 15 August 1986 he received priestly ordination in the city of Río Cuarto. There he served as director of catechesis and advisor to lay movements (1989-1997), founder and rector of the Jesús Buen Pastor College of Science and Sacred Philosophy Teachers and of the diocesan Institute for Lay Formation (1990-1993), and parish priest of Santa Teresita (1993-2000). He was also formator and director of studies at the seminary of Río Cuarto (1988-1993, 2000-2007), and delegate for ecumenism from 2003 to 2005. He was dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina and then rector of the same university.

Pope Francis appointed him titular archbishop of Tiburnia on 13 May 2013, and he was consecrated on 15 June of the same year.

In 2017 he was elected president of the Faith and Culture Commission of the Argentine Episcopal Conference.

On 2 June 2018 he was appointed titular archbishop of the archdiocese of La Plata.

On 1 July 2023 he was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and He took office in mid-September 2023.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 30 September 2023, of the Deaconry of Santi Urbano e Lorenzo a Prima Porta.

Member of: 

• Dicasteries for the Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World and Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches; for the Eastern Churches; for Bishops; for the Laity, the Family and Life; for Culture and Education; for Legislative Texts; for Promoting Christian Unity.