Following the death of Pope Francis, the name of Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes is being strongly considered in the Vatican as a possible successor.
This Monday, the Catholic Church experienced a historic moment: Pope Francis died at the age of 88, after suffering a stroke and cardiovascular collapse. With his passing, the throne of St. Peter becomes vacant and the process for electing a new spiritual leader through the traditional conclave begins.
Among the 252 eligible cardinals, only two Mexicans meet the requirements. One of them is Carlos Aguiar Retes, the current Archbishop Primate of Mexico. His experience and career place him among the candidates with potential to assume the highest office in the Church.
A Mexican with a voice in Rome
Carlos Aguiar Retes was born on January 9, 1950, in Tepic, Nayarit. At a young age, he chose the religious path and began his studies at the Tepic Seminary. He then continued his formation in the United States and Rome. He earned a doctorate in Biblical Theology. He was ordained a priest in 1973.
For more than 40 years, he has held various positions within the Church. He has dedicated himself to teaching, training new priests, and coordinating pastoral work. He served as Bishop of Texcoco, Archbishop of Tlalnepantla, and since 2018 has been Archbishop Primate of Mexico, the highest position in the country’s Catholic hierarchy.
Recognized in and outside Mexico
In addition to his work in parishes and dioceses, Aguiar has been actively involved in church organizations in Latin America. He served as president of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) and the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), where he promoted collaborative work among the region’s bishops.
His leadership has been recognized by three popes: John Paul II consecrated him a bishop; Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Tlalnepantla; and Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2016. Since then, he has served on various councils and commissions at the Vatican.
A close relationship with Francis
His closeness to Pope Francis has been key to his career. He shares with him a vision of a more open Church, closer to the people and focused on community work. In Tlalnepantla, he promoted pastoral visits to neighborhoods and settlements, encouraging priests and laypeople to take to the streets to meet with the people, as the Pope himself has requested.
In 2023, Aguiar was one of the nine presidents of the Synod of Bishops, a global meeting where the future of the Church was discussed. He also serves on the Dicastery for Culture and Education and other Vatican bodies.
Could he be the new pope?
Although the process for selecting the new pontiff is secretive and often unpredictable, Aguiar Retes has several elements that could work in his favor: he has experience, is close to Pope Francis’s thinking, has worked both inside and outside Mexico, and is well-regarded in Rome.
If the next conclave elects him, he would become the first Mexican pope in history. For now, his name is already on the table, and his track record positions him as a figure with real weight in the decision that will define the direction of the Catholic Church in the coming years.
Source: infobae
