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Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Cardinal Sin is dead, 76
MANILA -- The "house of Sin" has fallen silent. Retired Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, an outspoken advocate of democracy who played a key role in the revolts that ousted two presidents, died Tuesday. He was 76.
Sin had been ill with kidney problems and diabetes for years and was unable to attend the Vatican conclave that chose a new pope in April, although colleagues said he desperately wanted to go.
Known for his dedication, engaging personality and sense of humor-he often referred to his residence as "the house of Sin"-the cardinal was one of Asia's most prominent religious leaders. When he spoke, presidents listened.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who continued to seek his counsel even after Cardinal Sin retired in November 2003, called him "a blessed man who never failed to unite Filipinos during the most crucial battles against tyranny and evil."
"Cardinal Sin leaves a legacy of freedom and justice forged in deep personal courage," Arroyo said in a statement.
Vacuum
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, in a statement, said, "His passing away leaves a vacuum in our hearts at a time when our nation needs a voice to speak the truth for us and to us."
"Our baptismal anointing, however, empowers us to seek the truth ourselves and to work for justice and peace in our land. This is the mission that the Lord himself has entrusted to us. This is the mission that we must take up ourselves," the statement further read.
Vidal, recently hospitalized for a case of pneumonia, did not read the press statement himself as he was still recuperating from his illness.
His secretary, Fr. Augustine Ancajas, read it instead inside the cardinal's office, which was adorned with pictures of the late Cardinal Sin.
"I ask all the faithful in the Archdiocese of Cebu to offer prayers for the eternal repose of Jaime Cardinal Sin.
May our shared grief unite us to work together for the good of the church and of our nation," the statement said.
Sin served as the moral compass in this overwhelmingly Catholic country, where he took vocal, sometimes controversial stances on everything from birth control to poverty, politics and the US-led war in Iraq. He once apologized for church neglect of the poor.
Apology
Aides had to help a weak-looking Sin to the altar toward the end of his tenure as Manila archbishop. But he remained a staunch defender of democracy after he stepped down as head of the archdiocese that he served for nearly three decades.
Hours before hundreds of soldiers and officers staged a failed coup against Arroyo in July 2003, he urged Filipinos to be vigilant against groups plotting to violently overturn the country's democratic institutions. The 19-hour uprising failed.
"As I enter a new chapter in my twilight years, I can say with gratitude that I have given my very best to God and country," he said after the late Pope John Paul II accepted his resignation.
"I beg pardon from those I might have led astray or hurt. Please remember me kindly."
Fr. Jun Sescon, Sin's spokesman, told dzBB radio that the cardinal was taken to Cardinal Santos Medical Center with a high fever on Sunday evening and suffered multiple organ failure. He died at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday.
"Our call to all the faithful is to include in their prayers the soul of Cardinal Sin," Sescon said.
'Ali Baba'
The 14th of 16 children of a Chinese merchant and a Filipino woman, Sin balanced joviality with deep spirituality.
He burst onto the international stage when he called on Filipinos to surround the police and military headquarters in Metro Manila in 1986, to protect then-military Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, who broke away from Ferdinand Marcos.
That led to the People Power revolution, which ousted Marcos over alleged corruption and human rights violations. The largely peaceful revolt became a harbinger of change in authoritarian regimes worldwide. Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
But the country's problems continued, partly because of the endemic corruption that blossomed under Marcos.
"We got rid of Ali Baba, but the 40 thieves remained," Sin once quipped.
Moral voice
Sin also helped lead large street protests that led to the ouster of President Joseph Estrada over alleged corruption and misrule in January 2001. The church wasn't fond of Estrada, a notorious womanizer who sired children by several women and was known for late-night drinking and gambling sessions.
Impoverished followers of Estrada, denouncing Sin and politicians who forced their leader from power, stormed the presidential palace in May 2001 in riots that killed six people.
Sin issued an unprecedented apology to the poor shortly thereafter, acknowledging that the church had neglected them and made them easy prey for selfish, powerful people. He offered reconciliation to the poor and assured them that the church is not "anti-Estrada, but pro-morality."
Although revered by many Filipinos, Sin came under criticism over his active advocacies. He had a thorny relationship with President Fidel Ramos, a Protestant whose 1992-98 administration promoted the use of artificial birth control. Sin advocated only natural methods.
Church leaders are still consulting Sin's family on funeral arrangements. His body was to be buried in the crypt beneath Manila Cathedral.
With Sin's death, Vidal is the lone remaining cardinal in the country. He was unable to attend early Tuesday the ordination of three priests at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
Bishop Julito Cortes, who officiated the mass, asked the faithful as well to pray for Cardinal Sin's soul. (AP/With JGA of Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(June 22, 2005 issue)
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