José Cobo Cano

José Cobo Cano (born 20 September 1965) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been serving as the archbishop of Madrid since his installation on 8 July 2023. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of that archdiocese. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 30 September 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 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 Iglesia de San Pedro (Sabiote). 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 Madrid Conciliary Seminary 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 Hermandades del Trabajo de Madrid, a Catholic evangelist and social work organization (1994–1996). Afterwards, he was a vicar (1995–2000) and archpriest (2000) at the Parroquia de San Leopold. From 2000 to 2015, he was the parish priest of St. Alfonso María de Ligorio. Subsequently, he was made member of the Presbyteral Council, a group of priests that give advice to the ordinary of the church (2000–2012; 2015–2017). In 2001, he was nominated as archpriest of Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Campamento and served until 2015. He was a permanent member in the II Diocesan Synod of Madrid, a meeting focused on deliberating legislative matters, from 2002 to 2005. Later, he was appointed as vicar episcopal of the Vicaría Episcopal II Nordeste (2015–2017). He was a lecturer at Escuela de Agentes de Pastoral de Madrid (1996–2000) and Centro de Estudios Sociales de Cáritas Diocesana de Madrid (2000–2012).

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 from Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, Archbishop of Madrid.

Like other bishops, Cobo had to select a motto and a coat of arms. His chosen motto, 'In misericordia Tua, confidere et servire' (In Your mercy, trust and serve), is meant to reflect his belief that entrusting to God and serving are the core principles of his life. He further states that these traits define his strengths and underscore his contributions to the Church and community.

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 Virgin of the Star.

During his time as auxiliary bishop, he was responsible for the Prison Pastoral Care Department (2018–2021) in the Spanish Episcopal Conference, an institution to help organize the pastoral functions of the bishops. In the same institution he is a member of the Migration Department since 2019 and of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral and Human Promotion since 2020.

In November 2018, a teacher at an Opus Dei school in Bilbao was discovered to have sexually abused a child from 2008 to 2010. 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". Eventually, the teacher was sentenced to 11 years in prison. This high-profile case led to a nationwide meeting addressing sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church, in which Cobo participated.

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. On 29 June 2023, in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica ordained by Pope Francis, he received the pallim, an ecclesiastical vestment for metropolitans. 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. As an auxiliary bishop, Cobo had overseen various departments related to social issues. This profile fits with the progressive stance that has marked the Francis's pontificate, and it is believed to have played a substantial role in his appointment. Earlier in 2023, the Pope had also made other contentious nominations, Francisco José Prieto Fernández 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. That same month, Pope Francis announced he plans to make him a cardinal, along with 20 others, at a papal consistory scheduled for 30 September.

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.