[appeared at the Manila Times on June 28, 2005]
Irreplaceable Cardinal
Contrary to other professions that can be practiced and
specialized through higher learning and specialization, Manila Archbishop Jaime
L. Cardinal Sin’s devotion as a priest rolled all professions into one.
This was how a nun from the Franciscan Sister of the Sacred
Hearts saw Cardinal Sin when she first met him in 1983 during the blessing of
Fr. Simpliciano Academy’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Shrine in Better Living
Subdivision, Paranaque.
Sis. Vissia Angeles, in an interview during her visit at the
wake of Cardinal Sin on Friday at the Manila Cathedral, said she saw the
cardinal as a simple man and was always happy. “You would feel he doesn’t
choose people because he is accommodating to all,” she said.
Sis. Vissia recalled that the Cardinal, in one of his homily
in the early 1980’s, preached about the goodness of priests and put the
character of a priest in professions such as a lawyer, doctor, farmer, an
engineer and a teacher.
Narrating from Cardinal Sin’s homily, Sis. Vissia recalled
him as saying: “The priest is an engineer who constructs bridge from earth
going to heaven, the priest is the bridge of a man from earth going to heaven,
the priest is the lawyer who defends the sinner before God, the priest is a
doctor who heals the wound of sins, the priest is also a farmer who plants the
seed of a man and a priest is a teacher that teaches the way to heaven.”
Tomas Palomo, 50 years old of Antipolo City and who was the
driver of the deceased Cardinal for 25 years, said Cardinal Sin would sometimes
play a joke on him. At one time, he recalled, the Cardinal teased him about how
he seriously took God’s message for men “to go and multiply.”
Palomo, father to 10 children, said the Cardinal told him
that since he has taken seriously the word of God, he should have a child who
should become a priest, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a nun and a president.
Bishop Antonio Tobias of the Diocese of Novaliches, in his
homily last Friday, which happened to be the feast day of St. John the Baptist,
said he remembered Cardinal Sin teaching him how to become a priest not only
for himself but “a priest” for the poor.
He said Cardinal Sin, when he (Bishop Tobias) was still a
young priest, would join him in his visit to his poor communities and would
show him how to deal with the people specially the oppressed.
Visiting Archbishop of Jakarta Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja,
who paid his respects to Cardinal Sin last Friday, remembered the Cardinal as
“a leader who tried to reach the life of ordinary individuals and was concerned
with the spiritual and political issues of this country and the common good of
all.”
Archbishop Darmaatmadja said he admires Cardinal Sin because
he managed to sustain the lead of Catholicism not only in the Philippines but
also in the Asian region.
The catholic population in Jakarta, Indonesia, according to
Archbishop Darmaatmadja, is only three percent or 10 million of the total 200
million population of Indonesia.
Cardinal Sin’s successor Manila Archbishop Gaudencio
Rosales, in his homily during the Sunday mass at the Manila Cathedral, stressed
the value of education as imparted by the late Cardinal.
Rosales emphasized how Cardinal Sin led the people, as shown
in two Edsa people power revolutions where he stood up when the nation was
looking for direction and was searching for a leader.
Bishop Tobias added that the cardinal is not only a gift of
God but is also a “prophet.” Bishop Tobias said that Cardinal Sin announced the
good news and renounced the bad news.
“Ang Cardinal hindi lamang siya nagsasalita. May panahon na
siya ay magsasalita meron namang panahon na mananahimik siya dahil hindi pa ito
ang tamang panahon,” he narrated.
Sis. Vissia added that when the Cardinal spoke on national
issues, he was not engaging in politics because “the church has no political
programs.”
She said it is the moral obligation of the cardinal to tell
all of us, not only politicians, that we should not commit sins against love.
“Kapag nakikita mo ang kapwa mo na pinapatay, sasabihin mo
mali iyan,” she said.
Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, former president of catholic run
radio station, DzRV Radyo Veritas admitted that no one can replace Cardinal Sin
for being a prophet.
He added that one good trait of the cardinal is that when he
thinks of something and when he wants something done, he never postpones doing
it.
“Hindi siya nagpapaliban kaya makikita mo sa mga desisyon
niya, sa kanyang pagninilay iyong spur of the moment kaya kita mo ang mga
desisyon niya ginagalang,” he said.
But Cardinal Sin’s death does not signal the death of the
prophet, said Bishop Vergara.
“No one can replace Cardinal Sin. Like any other person we
are made unique of everyone. We will miss him, tinawag nga siyang prophet pero
naniniwala ako sa mga darating na krisis ay may darating na propeta na
magliligtas sa ating naghihingalong bayan,” he explained.
Cardinal Sin is a graduate of Bachelor of Science major in
Education and has 24 honorary doctoral degrees in 24 universities in three
continents.
Cardinal Sin in his message during the celebration of the
International Year of the Eucharist said he has entrusted himself to the
guidance and care of Mary. “She has always been for a me a loving and devoted
Mother and has always pointed me to her son. As she has loved me so I have
always tried to love my priests and to love the flock entrusted to my care,”
Cardinal Sin said.
Excerpt from Cardinal Sin’s message in the celebration of
the International Year of the Eucharist:
“As one might imagine, I have spent much time since my
retirement reflecting upon the years that God in His goodness has given to me.
My reminiscing has included the relishing of some very fond memories as well as
coming to terms with a certain number of regrets. What I would like to take
this opportunity to share is my realization that in my entire life I cannot
think of even a single Holy Mass that I regret having assisted at or offered
and cannot think of even a single moment that I regret having spent with our
sweet Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”
“Please do not pass over this confession lightly. Whether
young or old, there are regrets that each one of us have experience or will
experience at some point during our lives. Yet I can assure you with the
greatest of certainty that never have I regretted nor ever will you regret
anything done for the love of Jesus in the Eucharist! It is here that we
experience and understand the words of Pope John Paul II: ‘Amid our questions
and difficulties, and even our bitter disappointments, the divine Wayfarer
continues to walk at our side,’” the Cardinal also said. ###