On the morning of Friday, February 6, the Mexican Episcopal Conference announced the appointment of Margarito Salazar Cárdenas as the new bishop of the Diocese of Tampico. Until now, the pastor of the Diocese of Matehuala, the prelate assumes the pastoral staff of one of the most important ecclesiastical jurisdictions in northeastern Mexico, putting an end to nearly a year of a vacant see.
Salazar Cárdenas succeeds José Armando Álvarez Cano, who in January 2025 was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Morelia and, in January 2026, became the current archbishop of that Michoacán archdiocese. During that period, the Diocese of Tampico was under the apostolic administration of Monsignor Óscar Efraín Tamez Villarreal, bishop of Ciudad Victoria.
Margarito Salazar Cárdenas was born on February 22, 1958, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. He is the first bishop native to Tamaulipas to lead the Diocese of Tampico in nearly 40 years, a fact that has been highlighted with joy by the local faithful. He entered the Matamoros Seminary in 1978 and was ordained a priest on June 12, 1989. He studied theology at the Pontifical University of Mexico (1985-1988), where he obtained a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology in 1990. His ministerial trajectory has been strongly linked to priestly formation and parish service in the Diocese of Matamoros.
Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Matehuala on March 3, 2018. He received episcopal ordination on May 24, 2018, becoming the third bishop of that Potosí diocese. In the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), he has held roles such as head of the Permanent Council of the Ecclesiastical Province of San Luis Potosí (2018-2024) and first vocal of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Communion (2021-2027).
The Diocese of Tampico has deep historical roots. It was initially erected as the Apostolic Vicariate of Tamaulipas, on August 13, 1861. Elevated to a diocese on March 12, 1870, under the name of Ciudad Victoria-Tamaulipas, it officially changed its name to the Diocese of Tampico** on February 25, 1958. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Monterrey and covers 11 municipalities in southern Tamaulipas, with around 72 parishes.
Throughout its history, it has been shepherded by prominent bishops. Among them stands out Ernesto Corripio Ahumada, who was bishop of Tampico before becoming archbishop of Puebla, then of Mexico, and cardinal primate. Other important prelates include Rafael Gallardo García, José Luis Dibildox Martínez, and the most recent, José Armando Álvarez Cano. The cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, is the spiritual heart of the diocese and an architectural and religious symbol of the port of Tampico.
From this blog, we wish the new bishop of Tampico a fruitful episcopal ministry. Congratulations!