Luis María Martínez

Luis María Martínez y Rodríguez (9 June 1881 – 9 February 1956) was the Catholic archbishop of Mexico and the first official Primate of Mexico. He was also a scholar and poet, and a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua.

Early life and career Luis María Martínez y Rodríguez was born on June 9, 1881, in Molino de Caballeros in Michoacán. He studied at the seminary in the diocese of Morelia, and was ordained on 30 November 1904.

He became a teacher at the seminary, ultimately rising to the position of dean. In 1923, he was named as auxiliary bishop to the archbishop of Morelia as well as the titular bishop of Anemurium. Eleven years later he was elevated to coadjutor bishop of Morelia and titular archbishop of Misthia.

Martínez was a close friend of Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas, dating back to their youth in Michoacán. The good working relationship of both men during the Cárdenas administration (1934–1940) bridged a gap between church and state, and helped subdue the bitter animosity between Catholics and leftists that had lingered since the Mexican Revolution. The archbishop kept his friendly, pro-government stance through the succeeding administrations of Manuel Ávila Camacho, Miguel Alemán Valdés, and Adolfo Ruiz Cortines.

He died on 9 February 1956 in Mexico City. Police officials estimated that over 100,000 mourners had filed past the funeral bier prior to the Mass. On 12 May 2011, his remains were exhumed for his cause for canonization.