Remembering the Cardinal

By Florence F. Hibionada

Cardinal Sin

Millions of Filipinos here and abroad mourned for days the passing of Ilonggo Cardinal Jaime Sin. Admired and considered one of the Catholic church's pillars particularly throughout the Filipino community, millions more join the rest of the Christendom as the Cardinal will be laid to rest today (Tuesday).

For Father Ronald De Leon, the gift that was in Cardinal Sin's life and death brings to a full and unending circle the greatness that was in the Cardinal's vocation.

Fr. De Leon became a priest in 1996, decades after Cardinal Sin has since embraced and faithfully served the Catholic Church. Asked on his thoughts, Fr. De Leon spoke as if the years in between nor the lack of personal contact were non-existent. He recalled with fondness the one time he and other friends at the St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary came closest to shaking the Cardinal's hand back early 90's.

"We take pride that he was once amongst us at the St. Vincent," he added while relating with vividness the stories passed on by Fr. Gene Velarde, personal secretary to the Cardinal for many years. Fr. De Leon would have the chance to be the secretary of Fr. Velarde making him now the "secretary to the secretary" saying he would marvel at the accounts and "Sin stories."

"Cardinal Sin will forever be the source of inspiration and courage to us. To this day, it sticks in my mind and heart his phrase, "revolution of love," his response then to the overwhelming pressure faced by the church during the Martial Law era. I also find it to be most significant his capacity to laugh and make light of an otherwise very serious situation. He denounced evil in the most unthreatening of ways and thus very effective at such. I know him also to be very prayerful that most of his decisions come from hours of praying. Truly, he was admired beyond the church for his influence. And yes, he is very generous who could easily part with his resources just so he could help others, help us," Fr. De Leon said in a The News Today (TNT) interview.

Similar sentiments echoed by other Ilonggos reached by TNT .

"The Philippines lost an icon not just of the Church but also societal change. Cardinal Sin's contribution to history is unequalled for he was always at the forefront," journalist Nereo Lujan said. Lujan is news correspondent for Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN).

"I personally met Cardinal Sin when I was in First Year Philosophy at the St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary when we had the concert at the Manila Cathedral right after EDSA 1 revolution. He let us enter his living room at Villa San Miguel. He told us, "if you will not become a priest, be sure to be a good christian for the country," Larry Tabsing, former broadcaster and former seminarian for his part recalled.

Long Beach California resident Rose Flores for her part shared her memories of seeing Cardinal Sin several times.

"I remember him as a funny, happy priest who was always around my parents and their friends during Cursillo days. I remembered going with everyone from Jaro to Manila when he became Archbishop there. I was a little girl then. The next time I saw the Cardinal was in Los Angeles in the late '80s at St. Basil's Church where thousands of Filipinos gathered. Amidst the crowd, he saw my mother and yelled, "Elsa! What are you doing here?," Flores recalled.

"Our house was blessed by Cardinal Sin so we will always feel his presence" Elizabeth Fink of Lakewood, California added.

For Iloilo Vice Governor Roberto Armada, “The demise of Cardinal Sin can be viewed as an END of an era. The era that would go down as the brightest moment of the Catholic Church in Philippine history. How Cardinal Sin steered the church affairs thru trying time in the mid-70s from both the leftist underground and the rightist government of Marcos shows not only his political savvy but his deep sense of commitment to the church as its leader. His role in said people power revolution assures him of a place in our country's history and in the hearts of every God-fearing and freedom loving Filipino.”

Armada added, “Until his death, he remains steadfast to his principles as a prime defender of the faith and shepherd of the Catholic flock in the Philippines. I will always remember what he said—“Mercy without justice is weakness, justice without mercy is tyranny. I am fortunate to have been born and raised in the era of Cardinal Sin.”