Antonio Rouco Varela was born in Vilalba to Vicente Rouco and María Eugenia Varela, the latter of whom hailed from Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
Cardinal Rouco Varela was confirmed as a Member of the Congregation for Catholic Education by Pope Francis on 30 November 2013,[REF] but on 16 December he was not renewed as a member of the Congregation for Bishops; this was interpreted as a significant loss of influence.