Pope Leo XIV has appointed Mons. Ramón Salazar Estrada as bishop of Mazatlán, until now auxiliary bishop of Guadalajara and head of the Episcopal Dimension for Life of the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), from where he has defended the dignity of human life from conception until natural death.
The Holy See announced this Tuesday the appointment along with the acceptance of the resignation of Mons. Mario Espinosa Contreras from the pastoral government of the Mexican diocese. Salazar Estrada thus arrives in Mazatlán after nearly five years as auxiliary bishop of Guadalajara.
Leading the life pastoral of the Mexican episcopate
In addition to his episcopal responsibility in Guadalajara, Salazar Estrada heads the Episcopal Dimension for Life, integrated into the Episcopal Commission for the Family, Youth, Adolescents, Laity and Life of the Mexican Episcopal Conference.
The CEM itself defines this dimension as the body responsible for promoting and supporting episcopal pastoral care related to life, within a commission that provides advice and support to the ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses of the country.
His responsibility takes on special relevance in Mexico, where the Church maintains an active presence in defense of the unborn and on other issues related to the dignity of human life.
In March of this year, Salazar Estrada signed the Message for Life 2026, titled Toward an Integral Care of Human Life. In the document he maintained that «from conception until natural death, each stage of existence possesses an intrinsic dignity that does not depend on the physical, psychological, social or economic condition of the person.»
The bishop also warned that the care of life «is not an optional or delegable task,» but a moral responsibility of individuals, families, religious communities and civil authorities.
His activity in this area has not been limited to doctrinal statements. As head of the Episcopal Dimension for Life he has participated in national initiatives for the formation and mobilization of Mexican Catholics in defense of life and the family.
Doctor in Moral Theology
Ramón Salazar Estrada was born on May 17, 1963 in Guadalajara. He was ordained a priest on May 30, 1993 for the Archdiocese of Guadalajara.
After his ordination he carried out various pastoral and academic responsibilities. His formation includes a licentiate and doctorate in Moral Theology from the Alfonsian Academy in Rome, an institution linked to the Pontifical Lateran University and specialized in this discipline.
Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Guadalajara on September 18, 2021, assigning him the titular see of Bisarcio. He received episcopal ordination on November 30 of the same year.
Since then he has exercised his episcopal ministry in one of the most important archdioceses in Mexico and has assumed responsibilities in the Mexican Episcopal Conference, particularly in the area of defense and promotion of life.
From Guadalajara to Mazatlán
Salazar Estrada will succeed Mons. Mario Espinosa Contreras in Mazatlán, whose resignation has been accepted by Leo XIV.
The Diocese of Mazatlán belongs to the ecclesiastical province of Durango and comprises part of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. With the appointment, Salazar ceases to be an auxiliary to assume for the first time the pastoral government of a diocese as residential bishop.
His arrival comes while the Mexican Church continues to face legislative and judicial debates related to the protection of life. From the responsibility he has held until now in the CEM, the new bishop has insisted that the defense of the person cannot depend on physical, economic or social circumstances.