Cardinal Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez is a retired Venezuelan prelate who has dedicated much of his life to education and served as president of the Venezuelan bishop in the 2010s.

Born on May 17, 1939, in Montalbán, Venezuela, Padrón Sánchez completed his early education at the minor seminary in Valencia and pursued his priestly studies at the Santa Rosa de Lima Interdiocesan Seminary in Caracas, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and letters.

Padrón Sánchez’s academic journey continued with studies in group dynamics and youth pastoral care in Bogotá, Colombia. He further enhanced his theological knowledge by earning a degree in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a diploma in Oriental Biblical Sciences from the Franciscanum Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Ordained priest on August 4, 1963, Padrón Sánchez served in various parishes in Valencia. His career in education is noteworthy, having taught Spanish, literature, and Latin, and obtained a graduate degree from the Professional Institute of Teaching at the Pedagogical Institute in Caracas.

In 1990, Pope John Paul II appointed Padrón Sánchez as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Caracas and titular bishop of Gisipa. He was consecrated on May 27, 1990, in the Cathedral of Caracas. His ecclesiastical journey continued with his appointment as Bishop of Maturín in 1994.

A significant milestone in his ecclesiastical life came on May 7, 2002, when Pope John Paul II appointed him metropolitan archbishop of the archdiocese of Cumaná. Padrón Sánchez served in this role until his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis on May 24, 2018.

As part of his service to the Church, Padrón Sánchez has held several important positions within the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference. He served as president of the Commission for Laity and Youth from 1990 to 1996 and as president of the Commission for Catechesis and Biblical Ministry from 1996 to 2003. Notably, he was elected president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference for two consecutive terms, serving from 2012 to 2018.

On September 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated Padrón Sánchez to the rank of Cardinal, assigning him the title of San Gaetano.

Currently, Cardinal Padrón Sánchez serves as the parish priest of La Inmaculada de Camoruco in the archdiocese of Valencia, Venezuela, continuing his lifelong commitment to the Church and its faithful.