Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach is a former Archbishop of Barcelona known for his canonical and civil law expertise.

Born on April 29, 1937, in Barcelona, Spain, to Juan Martínez Puig, a commercial representative, and María Sistach Masllorens, a housewife, he grew up in the Guinardó neighborhood with his two sisters and received his early education at the Colegio de la Inmaculada of the Marist Brothers from 1942 to 1953.

After studying at the Major Seminary of Barcelona from 1954 to 1961, he was ordained as a priest on September 17, 1961. He then pursued higher education at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome from 1962 to 1967, where he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law.

His ecclesiastical career progressed significantly when Pope John Paul II appointed him as Auxiliary Bishop of Barcelona and Titular Bishop of Aliezira in 1987. He served as Bishop of Tortosa from 1991 to 1997, then as Archbishop of Tarragona from 1997 to 2004. In 2004, he became Archbishop of Barcelona, a position he held until his retirement in 2015.

A significant milestone in his career came on November 24, 2007, when Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to cardinal, assigning him the title of Cardinal-Priest of San Sebastiano alle Catacombe.

He participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. Throughout his career, he served on various Vatican bodies, including the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts and the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

Known for his legal expertise, Cardinal Martínez Sistach has made notable contributions to canon law, including publishing a successful book on associations of the faithful in 1986. In recognition of his service, Pope Francis granted him the title of Lawyer of the Roman Rota in 2017.