Braulio Rodríguez Plaza
Braulio Rodríguez Plaza (born 27 January 1944 in Aldea del Fresno, Madrid) is a Spanish Catholic prelate who served as Metropolitan Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain from 2009 until his retirement in 2019.
He was ordained a priest on 3 April 1972 and held various roles in Madrid, including pastor of rural parishes, vice parish priest in San Miguel de Carabanchel, and parish priest in San Fulgencio. He also worked as a formator at the major seminary in Madrid and spent time in Jerusalem, where he earned a degree in Sacred Scripture. He earned a doctorate in Biblical Theology from the Faculty of Burgos.
Rodríguez Plaza was named Bishop of Osma-Soria on 6 November 1987 and was consecrated on 20 December 1987. He was transferred to the Diocese of Salamanca on 12 May 1995 and became Metropolitan Archbishop of Valladolid on 28 August 2002. He received the pallium from Pope Benedict XVI on 29 June 2009.
On 16 April 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Toledo, making him Primate of Spain. In February 2010 he dismissed a priest in the Toledo diocese over prostitution accusations. In January 2016 there was a misquote about his views on domestic violence; he said that abuse is linked to issues within a real marriage and cautioned that political programs should address the root causes.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 27 December 2019. Within the Spanish Episcopal Conference, he served on the Standing Committee.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:49 (CET).