José Cobo Cano

José Cobo Cano (born 20 September 1965) is a Spanish Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Madrid since 2023. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2023.

Cobo became a priest in 1994 and was named an auxiliary bishop in 2017; after his ordination, he oversaw various social issue–related departments within the Spanish Episcopal Conference. Following a scandal about a case of sexual abuse by a teacher at an Opus Dei school, Cobo participated in a national meeting to address such cases within the Catholic Church.

His appointment as archbishop in 2023 drew controversy due to his limited experience—the previous five archbishops of Madrid had all been bishops in their own dioceses—and his progressive views. During an interview, Cobo sparked controversy when he stated that he would not officiate same-sex marriages, comparing the act to celebrating the Eucharist with Coca-Cola.

Early life José Cobo was born on 20 September 1965 in the municipality of Sabiote, Andalusia, where he was baptized in the . At 7 years old he went with his parents, Agustín and Pauli, to Madrid.

He earned a licentiate degree in civil law from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1988. The same year, he entered the and San Damaso the same year, where he completed his ecclesiastical studies. He pursued moral science at the Comillas Pontifical University (1994–1996).

Early priesthood Cobo was ordained a priest of the archdiocese of Madrid on 23 April 1994 by Cardinal Ángel Suquía Goicoechea, Archbishop of Madrid.

He started his ministry as deputy at , a Catholic evangelist and social work organization (1994–1996). Afterwards, he was a vicar (1995–2000) and archpriest (2000) at the . From 2000 to 2015, he was the parish priest of .

Auxiliary bishop On 29 December 2017, Pope Francis appointed Cobo and two others auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Madrid and named Cobo titular bishop of Baeza. He received his episcopal consecration on 17 February 2018

Through his ecclesiastical coat of arms, Cobo wanted to symbolize four meaningful aspects of his personal and priestly life. These include the Cross with the Five Holy Wounds, a representation of his faith; a bell, reflecting his role in guiding the people of God through various situations; a wash-basin, reflecting his servitude to others; and a broken wall with a star in the background, referencing the discovery of the Virgin of Almudena and his town's patron saint, the . Following the case's revelation, Cobo talked with the victim's priest, subsequently reporting the incident to the school. The school trusted his account and indicated plans to relocate the teacher abroad; Cobo strongly objected to and criticized this decision, stating that school officials lacked compassion toward the victim or their parents. Cobo also called the bishop of Bilbao's handling of the situation "shameful".

Archbishop On 12 June 2023, he was named by Pope Francis as archbishop of Madrid, replacing Carlos Osoro Sierra. He took canonical possession in 8 July 2023 at the Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria. Appointed bishop at the age of 56, his maximum term of 19 years would be longer than usual.

His promotion was not well received within Madrid's clergy due to his lack of experience; he broke the tradition of the last five archbishops having to pass through other archbishoprics before reaching the capital. Cobo was not part of the terna sent by the papal ambassador and was personally chosen by the Pope. Earlier in 2023, the Pope had also made other contentious nominations, and Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva; both auxiliary bishops, were elevated to the positions of archbishops of Santiago de Compostela and Buenos Aires, respectively.

As archbishop, he was made member of the Executive Commission and the Permanent Commission of the Spanish Episcopal Conference in July 2023. In that consistory, Pope Francis created him a cardinal-priest and assigned him to the titular church of Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli.

In an interview at World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Cobo criticized the church as being manipulated by "ideological interests" and as an instrument to win votes and reaffirm political positions. During an interview, José Cobo sparked controversy when he stated that he would not officiate same-sex marriages, comparing the concept of sacramental same-sex marriages to celebrating the Eucharist with Coca-Cola. Cobo participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.