Sin funeral to mimic Pope's on smaller scale
Jun 29, 2005
The funeral rites for Manila Archbishop Emeritus Jaime Cardinal Sin would be like that for the late Pope John Paul II's, albeit on a smaller scale.
(Inquirer News Service, June 26, 2005) The Manila Archdiocese is preparing a mix of state and religious ceremony for the cardinal as a final tribute to one of the country's most influential persons.
The late cardinal will be given a state burial at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros on Tuesday. The interment ceremony will start at 9 a.m., according to preliminary details released by the Manila Archdiocese and Sin's private secretary, Fr. Rufino "Jun" Sescon.
Sin's casket will be taken out of the cathedral and placed on a carriage to be paraded around Plaza Roma in front of the cathedral so the people could have their last glimpse of the cardinal.
Before the coffin is brought back into the cathedral, President Macapagal-Arroyo or the highest ranking government official present would hand over the Philippine flag draping the casket to either Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales or Sin's next of kin.
The casket will then be brought into the cathedral, after which a concelebrated Mass by the country's top Roman Catholic Church prelates will begin.
Foreign prelates and representatives of various dioceses in the Philippines are expected to attend the funeral rites.
Sescon said four cardinals from abroad who were close friends of Sin would attend the rites: Archbishop Julius Darmaatmadja SJ of Jakarta, Indonesia; Archbishop Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, California; Archbishop Emeritus Stephen Kim of Seoul, South Korea, and Bishop Paul Shan Kuo-hsi SJ of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
He said they had yet to receive word on who the Vatican would send to the funeral.
Sin's remains will be entombed in the cathedral's crypt, located beneath the right side of the main altar.
Only immediate members of Sin's family, close friends and a few ranking Church officials would be allowed to enter the crypt to witness the burial as the area can only hold 50 people.
After the final commendation, Sin's assistants at his Villa San Miguel home in Mandaluyong City will lower his casket into the concrete tomb.
The crypt contains the tombs of three former Manila archbishops - Michael O'Doherty, Gabriel Reyes and Rufino Santos. Sin, as he requested, would be laid beside Santos.
From the Sin family, expected to attend are the cardinal's sisters Ceferina and Mary and his brothers Ramon and Manuel.
Sescon said a time capsule, containing a summary of Sin's life and some news articles about his death would also be placed in the tomb, as will Sin's rosary, a miraculous medal, a book of the Gospels and possibly the late cardinal's staff.
Sin funeral to mimic Pope's on smaller scale