Rubén Salazar Gómez
Jesús Rubén Darío Salazar Gómez (born September 22, 1942) is a Colombian Catholic cardinal and former Archbishop of Bogotá, serving from 2010 to 2020. He previously led the Archdiocese of Barranquilla (1999–2010) and was the Bishop of Cúcuta (1992–1999).
Salazar Gómez studied philosophy at the Ibagué seminary and theology in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a licentiate in dogmatic theology, and also completed a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He was ordained a priest on May 20, 1967, by José Joaquín Flórez Hernández, and held roles including pastor, seminary professor, director of the Social Pastoral Department of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, and Vicar for Pastoral Care.
He was named Bishop of Cúcuta on February 11, 1992, and was consecrated on March 25, 1992. On March 18, 1999, he was appointed Archbishop of Barranquilla. He became Archbishop of Bogotá on July 8, 2010, and took office on August 13, 2010. At his installation, he highlighted priorities such as defending traditional marriage, protecting unborn life, and promoting peace in Colombia.
Pope Benedict XVI created him a cardinal on November 24, 2012, naming him Cardinal-Priest of San Gerardo Maiella. On January 31, 2013, he was named a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and he participated as a cardinal elector in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. Pope Francis also appointed him to the Congregation for Bishops on December 16, 2013. In May 2015 he was elected president of CELAM (the Latin American bishops’ conference) for a four-year term.
On April 25, 2020, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Bogotá and named Luis José Rueda Aparicio as his successor. In March 2022 Salazar Gómez was hospitalized for heart problems, underwent a stent procedure, and remained in intensive care.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:02 (CET).