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, Jaén, Andalusia, where he was baptized in the . 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 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 , a Catholic evangelist and social work organization (1994–1996). Afterwards, he was a vicar (1995–2000) and archpriest (2000) at the . From 2000 to 2015, he was the parish priest of . 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 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 (2015–2017). He was a lecturer at (1996–2000) and (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 .
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.