Cardinal Sin, leader of 'People Power' movement, dies
Jun 29, 2005
A prime motivator of the "People Power" movement that led to the ouster of two presidents, Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila died June 21 at the age of 76.
(The Tidings, June 24, 2005) The cardinal had been in poor health for years, suffering from kidney ailments that forced him to undergo daily dialysis treatments even before his retirement as archbishop of Manila in 2003. His health prevented him from participating in the April 18-19 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
Father Jun Sescon, Cardinal Sin's spokesman, told Philippine Radio that the cardinal was hospitalized June 19 with a high fever and suffered multiple organ failure before his death early June 21.
In a June 21 telegram to the Archdiocese of Manila, Pope Benedict recalled the cardinal's "unfailing commitment to the spread of the Gospel and to the promotion of the dignity, common good and national unity of the Philippine people."
The pope offered his prayers "that God, our merciful father, will grant him the reward of his labors and welcome his noble soul into the joy and peace of his eternal kingdom."
L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, dedicated an entire page to Cardinal Sin's life and death, saying the cardinal was "one of the most powerful figures in the history of the church in Asia."
The Philippines has lost "a firm pastor, a sure guide, a sweet father, a caring teacher and a strenuous defender of freedom and democracy," the newspaper said.
In Los Angeles, where several of the cardinal's family members live, he was recalled as a loving and gifted leader for the hundreds of thousands of Filipino Catholics living in Southern California.
"Cardinal Sin was my friend and my mentor," said Msgr. Loreto (Mac) Gonzales, pastor of St. Barnabas Church, Long Beach, and former head of the archdiocesan Filipino Ministry office. "We came from the same province (Aklan) in the central Philippines, and he was the seminary rector when I was there. He became like a father to me, and to many others studying for the priesthood.
"I thought him to be very similar to Pope John Paul II. Both had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a strong dedication to the Eucharist and the formation of the laity, and both were dedicated to pastoral care for the clergy."
Good Shepherd Sister Mary Christine Sevilla, current director of Filipino Ministry, called Cardinal Sin "an inspiration for me as a sister and for all Catholics. He was a model for church leaders who speak out against corrupt government. He rallied the people and gave them hope, and he was not afraid to enter into the political arena."
Over the years, Cardinal Sin had been an outspoken commentator on public life in the Philippines, one of two majority-Catholic nations in Asia. He played a leading role in the 1986 "People Power" nonviolent movement that sent former President Ferdinand Marcos into exile.
"He stood for the teachings of the church; he was a lightning rod for peace," said Msgr. Gonzales. "And what he helped accomplish with a peaceful revolution in the Philippines became a model for other countries around the world."
Born Aug. 31, 1928, in New Washington, Philippines, he was ordained a priest at age 25. He was named a bishop in 1967 and was appointed to head the Diocese of Jaro in 1972. Two years later, Pope Paul VI transferred him to the Archdiocese of Manila.
Pope Paul named him a cardinal in 1976 and Pope John Paul II accepted his resignation as head of the Manila Archdiocese in 2003.
After the 1983 assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino, husband of future President Corazon Aquino, Cardinal Sin became more outspoken in his criticism of the Marcos regime.
In 1986 elections, both Marcos and Corazon Aquino claimed victory and had themselves sworn into office in separate ceremonies. Aquino accused Marcos of gross election fraud and called for nonviolent demonstrations against the government. The action put the country and its predominantly Catholic population on the brink of civil war.
After top military leaders defected to the rebel side, Cardinal Sin broadcast an appeal on a Catholic radio station for Filipinos to take to the streets in support of the rebels. The cardinal's pleas led a million unarmed Filipinos to place themselves between rebel leaders and military loyal to Marcos, thus preventing a bloody confrontation.
Shortly after the protests, Marcos fled the Philippines and Aquino was installed as president.
During the Aquino administration, Cardinal Sin said government corruption remained widespread. But he said the president, whom he strongly supported, was "honest and sincere." Referring to the corruption during the Marcos regime, he said, "we thought it would end with the fleeing of the ousted dictator, Ali Baba, yet there are still 40 thieves around."
For a long time, a picture of the smiling Aquino hung in a room at Cardinal Sin's residence. At the bottom of the ex-president's picture is a handwritten message from Aquino saying, "Your Eminence, With my thanks for your contribution to People Power and Prayer Power ..., Corazon C. Aquino," reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.
Cardinal Sin reportedly enjoyed the joke about his name, and would welcome visitors to his residence by saying, "Welcome to the house of Sin."
In 2000, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reportedly sought the cardinal's advice during events leading up to the second "people power" uprising, which occurred early the following year against impeached president Joseph Estrada.
Cardinal Sin's continued pronouncements against corruption, social injustice and other moral issues affecting the life of the nation, however, drew criticism from politicians and other critics who believed church authorities should not be involved in politics.
Cardinal Sin explained his view at the Synod of Bishops in October 1987 in Vatican City. The Western concept of separation of church and state is "unthinkable" in Asia, where "religious traditions form the basis of the establishment, growth and development of cultures and nations," he said.
"To shut oneself away from the demands of political transformation of Asia is in a sense a denial of Christian identity," the Philippine cardinal told fellow bishops, saying lay people must promote the common good in politics, economics, culture and social relations, UCA News reported.
Nonetheless, he stressed that the risk of placing emphasis on ideologies must be avoided. Rather, he cited "particular emphasis on nonviolence as a Christian value" as something lay people could contribute to political life in the Philippines.
Near the end of his life, suffering from kidney disease, Cardinal Sin remained a powerful and inspirational presence to his people, said Sister Sevilla. "The last time I saw him was two years ago," she said. "I was so sad, because he was suffering, but he was happy to see me and to hear about the activities of our Filipino Catholic community in Los Angeles. It will be hard to be without him, but I am happy that now he is with God. He did what he was sent by God to do."
The late cardinal's body arrived at the Manila cathedral, the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, in an open bronze casket June 21. Ten priests rolled the casket to the front of the altar, and Aquino, four bishops, 91 priests and other dignitaries viewed the body before Mass, UCA News reported
In his homily, Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales of Manila expressed hope that Cardinal Sin would "whisper" a prayer in God's ear for peace in the Philippines.
Cardinal Sin's body will remain in the cathedral until the June 28 funeral Mass, after which it will be entombed in a crypt in the basement of the cathedral with the bodies of other previous archbishops of Manila.
Compiled by CNS and Mike Nelson. At press time, arrangements for memorial Masses in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were being made, including one at St. Barnabas on July 4, 11 a.m. Others will be announced in future issues.
Cardinal Sin, leader of 'People Power' movement, dies