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July 4, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 13Oakland,
CA
Filipinos grieve the death of
Manila’s Cardinal Jaime Sin
MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of mourners paid
their respects to the late Cardinal Jaime Sin, a key figure in the “people
power” revolts that ousted two Philippine presidents without bloodshed,
during four days of mourning following his death, June 21.
Busloads of students from Catholic schools and government workers arrived
in droves at the Manila cathedral, where Cardinal Sin’s body lay
in an open casket. He had suffered for years from diabetes and kidney
problems and had been too ill to attend the conclave that elected Pope
Benedict XVI on April 19.
His spokesman, Father Jun Sescon, said he was admitted to Cardinal Santos
Memorial Medical Center in San Juan on June 19 with a high fever and died
two days later of multiple organ failure. He was 76.
He was buried June 28 in the Manila cathedral crypt, where other Philippine
bishops are interred.
The cardinal was one of Asia’s most prominent religious leaders,
known for his vocal stances on everything from birth control to poverty,
politics and the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
“Cardinal Sin is a monumental figure. He is an inspiration,”
said Renalyn Bay, a teacher who arrived at the cathedral with high school
students from the Catholic-run Lourdes School. “His death, though
it makes the Filipinos sad, can produce greater blessing because of his
example.”
Teresita Gonzales, a 57-year-old mother of a seminarian, said she remembered
Cardinal Sin when he rallied Filipinos to a 1986 “people power”
revolt that ousted late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. “He was so strong
that he convinced people to go there and take part in the move to oust
our dictator,” she said, holding back tears.
The cardinal also helped lead large street protests that resulted in the
ouster of ex-President Joseph Estrada over alleged corruption and misrule
in January 2001.
Cardinal Sin stepped down as head of the Manila archdiocese, which he
served for nearly three decades, after reaching the retirement age of
75 in November 2003.
Born Aug. 31, 1928, the 14th of 16 children of a Chinese merchant and
a Filipino woman, he was the youngest member of the College of Cardinals
when he was elevated to cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1976 at the age of
47.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whom Cardinal Sin helped bring to power
following Estrada’s ouster, called the cardinal “a blessed
man who never failed to unite Filipinos during the most crucial battles
against tyranny and evil.”
“My duty is to put Christ in politics. Politics without Christ is
the greatest scourge of our nation,” Cardinal Sin said at his retirement
ceremony.
Known for his wit, he called his residence “the house of Sin.”
Referring to the endemic corruption that Marcos left behind, he said,
“We got rid of Ali Baba, but the 40 thieves remained.”
Pope Benedict XVI said that he was “deeply saddened” by Cardinal
Sin’s death.
(Peggy Polk of Religion News Service contributed to this report.)
Above, fellow priests carry the coffin of Cardinal Jaime
Sin into the Manila Cathedral, June 21, where his body lay in state during
four days of national mourning.
RNS PHOTO/REUTERS/Erik de Castro
Right, Cardinal Jaime Sin, the then Archbishop of Manila, at a thanksgiving Mass after the weekend rebellion in Manila in July 2003. He played a pivotal role in the non-violent ousting of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. RNS PHOTO/REUTERS/Erik de Castro
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