TAKE IT OR LEAVE ITBY JUN PRADO
Cardinal Sin: Circa 1999
A bigger-than-life towering statue of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin will soon grace the town plaza of New Washington, the place of birth of one of the most beloved and revered sons of Aklan.
Commissioned to do massive sculpturing job is National Artist Eduard Castrillo, an outstanding and renowned sculptor in the country.
Castrillo has been in New Washington lately to personally inspect the ideal site where the monument will stand. He was accompanied from Manila by former Kalibo Mayor Johnny Dayang who himself, for the past many weeks have been meeting and coordinating with Bishop Jose Romeo Lazo of the Diocese of Kalibo, Gov. Carlito Marquez, Cong. Joeben Miraflores, New Washington Mayor Edmund Peralta, Vice Mayor Jean Velarde, former Congressman Allen Salas Quimpo, Kalibo Mayor Raymar Rebaldo and other religious and civic leaders of the province. He called a press conference for the local tri-media and brought along with him two well-known journalists from Manila.
The unveiling and blessing of the Sin monument is scheduled on August 31st, His Eminence’s birth date.
Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of Manila and Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, have been named honorary chairman and chairman respectively. Ambassador Cabangon Chua initiated the whole project and will shoulder all expenses to be incurred in the construction and final realization of the laudable monumental monument project.
The Ambassador and the late Cardinal have been long-time close friends.
His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin was ordained priest in 1954, at age 36 – he had feared, being deficient in training because of his health, that he would make a boob of himself as a cleric only fit for the legendary boondocks. When 25 years later he marked his silver jubilee as a priest, in 1979, he was a familiar figure in both Malacañang and the Vatican, he sported the Red Hat.
Consecrated Bishop in 1967, he envisioned a very quiet future focused on Panay Island, his career being so Visayas-oriented. When 25 years later he hailed his Episcopal silver jubilee, in 1992, he was literally rocking and rolling in the turbulent See of Manila, he has become a national controversial figure.
What’s most recalled is the hilarity over his name; how one address a Monsignor Sin or a Reverend Sin and to become a Cardinal Sin without sniggering with a silent or a loud guffaw?
But the $64 question is: How could this Jaime Sin be so completely unknown when he was Archbishop of Jaro in Iloilo City? If he was obscure it could only be because he was himself the obscure type, too shy and too demure to stand out even on so flagrant a stage as Jaro. During his time and clime Jaro was one of the most significant Sees of the South.
The corollary would be that his type was deliberately chosen because the Church wished to avoid any collision with the State. In 1974, strongman Ferdinand Marcos was consolidating his powers as self-proclaimed divine autocrat under the aegis of Martial Law. He might prove ruthless if faced with an opponent in the See of Manila. The late head of the See of Manila, Rufina Cardinal Santos, had been too ill to make any stand. (to be continued)
Was this the neutralism the Church would maintain with so harmless a “non-entity” as Monsignor Sin?
Certainly, many in Manila had resented that the Premier See of the Land should be handed to someone not famed for greatness of intellect and spirit, especially when there was a dark horse like the Jesuit Horacio de la Costa, possibly the most brilliant mind in the Philippine Church at that time.
Or, If one went by precedent, a next-in-waiting like the Archbishop of Cebu, Julio Cardinal Santos, whose transfer to Manila should have been all but automatic. Or, if the point was rapport with the State, a fair-haired boy like Bishop Mariano Gaviola, who being the Vicar General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was the choice of the Generals, and, according to rumors of Madame Imeldefic “The Terrific” Romualdez Marcos himself.
But who won the Sweepstakes with a sweep was the lowly “non-entity” with a name so outrageous as a churchman; and who was brought to Manila
after a maneuver that wags then called the “Second Barter in Panay.”
The first “Barter in Panay” was, of course, the famous exchange of Negrito terrain for the infamous Golden Salakot offered by intruding Malays and which Kalibonhons celebrate as the Ati-Atihan Festival.
The Ilongos, the Capiceños and the Antiqueños have their own festive versions of such celebration.
The heir apparent of the See of Manila was its Auxiliary bishop, Msgr. Artemio Casas, administrator of the diocese during the death of Cardinal Santos.
To get Casas out of the way, he was sent to Panay to Manila to replace Casas as administrator – Archbishop of the See.
Thus, Msgr. Casas, a tagalong, became Lord Bishop of Panaynons; while Msgr. Sin, a Panaynon, became Lord Bishop of Tagalogs.
The last American Archbishop of Manila, Msgr. Michael O’Doherty lasted until 1920s to the postwar era. Then followed by Msgr. Gabriel M. Reyes, a native of Kalibo, Aklan, who was the first Filipino to head The See of Manila, and then Cardinal Santos, a Pampango. So, Jaime Sin is the third Filipino, and second Aklanon, to ascend the Episcopal throne of Manila!
Actually, political considerations had little to do with his selection. He had been made Bishop and put in-charge of Jaro’s business affairs, which had become a most unholy mess in the red as the good Archbishop Cuenco languished.
In a couple of years the young Sin had balanced the books and restored the See of Jaro to fiscal health. A confusion in red too were the books of the See of Manila in 1974; so what the archdiocese badly needed was not a diplomat nor a theologian but a good manager.
Which is why Sin was picked; to repeat in Manila his miracle center stage in the national life; on the other hand, by doing so, he can be said to have re-involved the Philippine Church in partisan politics. Ambiguity marks both the applause and the scorn he earned.
But after a single year in office Archbishop Sin had become better known than any of his predecessors were after a whole term in office. This high profile too has been ambiguously judged.
What’s most recalled is the hilarity over his name; how one address a Monsignor Sin or a Reverend Sin and to become a Cardinal Sin without sniggering with a silent or a loud guffaw?
But the $64 question is: How could this Jaime Sin be so completely unknown when he was Archbishop of Jaro in Iloilo City? If he was obscure it could only be because he was himself the obscure type, too shy and too demure to stand out even on so flagrant a stage as Jaro. During his time and clime Jaro was one of the most significant Sees of the South.
The corollary would be that his type was deliberately chosen because the Church wished to avoid any collision with the State. In 1974, strongman Ferdinand Marcos was consolidating his powers as self-proclaimed divine autocrat under the aegis of Martial Law. He might prove ruthless if faced with an opponent in the See of Manila. The late head of the See of Manila, Rufina Cardinal Santos, had been too ill to make any stand. (to be continued)
Was this the neutralism the Church would maintain with so harmless a “non-entity” as Monsignor Sin?
Certainly, many in Manila had resented that the Premier See of the Land should be handed to someone not famed for greatness of intellect and spirit, especially when there was a dark horse like the Jesuit Horacio de la Costa, possibly the most brilliant mind in the Philippine Church at that time.
Or, If one went by precedent, a next-in-waiting like the Archbishop of Cebu, Julio Cardinal Santos, whose transfer to Manila should have been all but automatic. Or, if the point was rapport with the State, a fair-haired boy like Bishop Mariano Gaviola, who being the Vicar General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was the choice of the Generals, and, according to rumors of Madame Imeldefic “The Terrific” Romualdez Marcos himself.
But who won the Sweepstakes with a sweep was the lowly “non-entity” with a name so outrageous as a churchman; and who was brought to Manila
after a maneuver that wags then called the “Second Barter in Panay.”
The first “Barter in Panay” was, of course, the famous exchange of Negrito terrain for the infamous Golden Salakot offered by intruding Malays and which Kalibonhons celebrate as the Ati-Atihan Festival.
The Ilongos, the Capiceños and the Antiqueños have their own festive versions of such celebration.
The heir apparent of the See of Manila was its Auxiliary bishop, Msgr. Artemio Casas, administrator of the diocese during the death of Cardinal Santos.
To get Casas out of the way, he was sent to Panay to Manila to replace Casas as administrator – Archbishop of the See.
Thus, Msgr. Casas, a tagalong, became Lord Bishop of Panaynons; while Msgr. Sin, a Panaynon, became Lord Bishop of Tagalogs.
The last American Archbishop of Manila, Msgr. Michael O’Doherty lasted until 1920s to the postwar era. Then followed by Msgr. Gabriel M. Reyes, a native of Kalibo, Aklan, who was the first Filipino to head The See of Manila, and then Cardinal Santos, a Pampango. So, Jaime Sin is the third Filipino, and second Aklanon, to ascend the Episcopal throne of Manila!
Actually, political considerations had little to do with his selection. He had been made Bishop and put in-charge of Jaro’s business affairs, which had become a most unholy mess in the red as the good Archbishop Cuenco languished.
In a couple of years the young Sin had balanced the books and restored the See of Jaro to fiscal health. A confusion in red too were the books of the See of Manila in 1974; so what the archdiocese badly needed was not a diplomat nor a theologian but a good manager.
Which is why Sin was picked; to repeat in Manila his miracle center stage in the national life; on the other hand, by doing so, he can be said to have re-involved the Philippine Church in partisan politics. Ambiguity marks both the applause and the scorn he earned.
But after a single year in office Archbishop Sin had become better known than any of his predecessors were after a whole term in office. This high profile too has been ambiguously judged.
Looking back on that neophyte year in Manila, and the epochal events that followed, Jaime Sin can claim that, disregarding how he might be criticized, he simply did what had to be done.
So, would he consider his 25 years in Manila a success” “Ah, I should not be the one to judge.” What he does believe is that his is already so long where most lasted so briefly could indicate success indeed – or only sheer vitality. Or both?
“Anyway, I’m happy I was able to reach my silver jubilee in the See of Manila. I am its 30th Archbishop and I believe the longest to stay. Others landed and died. Or stayed a month and died. The Manila climate was not agreeable to them.”
But the last time we visited him his brother, Dr. Ramon Sin in his palace in Mandaluyong, he was suffering from a prolonged illness. It has practically slowed him down.
Gone are the portly form, the apple checks, the booming voice, the roar of laughter – though one had felt all that to be but a disguise for a man essentially inward and still. He is a leaner now, very pale, with a voice barely above a whisper. The sparser hair is cropped very close. Even the eyes that were so lustrous have lost their sparkle.
“But do not talk about my illness or you will make me sad. St. Paul thanked God for his illnesses because, by suffering, he completed the Passion of Christ. So sickness is a grace, a blessing from above. If you are not ill once in a while, you become too proud. Here I am: I was ill, I suffered, but the good Lord saved me and I recovered. My doctors were very good doctors, 17 of them, and they come one by one to treat me without calling them. I was not allowed visitors so I could rest. And I got cured. But I was not afraid of dying and facing God. It is just but normal to die – though I would not prefer not to die from, say, lupus. And when one is alive one should not think of death. One should appreciate life because God is the owner of life.”
He is happy about what he has accomplished in his 25 years in Manila.
‘I was able to unite the clergy here, who were divided before I came. Now, at their gatherings, the concord is beautiful. I have set up a pension plan for them. When a priest of ours retires, he gets P20,000 a month. And this is the only diocese that pays its catechists. All these are because of the money I have saved. In my time we built 72 churches and established 147 new parishes.”
What he proposes for the See of Manila is to break it up.
“Manila is the biggest Archdiocese in the entire world. New York has, I think, a congregation of two million: Manila has eleven million. Parañaque alone has over 80 parishes; so does Quezon City. Pasay has, I think, around 90. When the See becomes too big it has to be divided. That is prescribed by the Canon Law. The districts of Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Quezon City, Kalookan – have each enough parishes to form a diocese. Then our too many auxiliary bishops could become resident bishops of these new Sees, if Manila See is broken up. But Rome won’t approve it. And that is the Pope’s prerogative.”
During this exclusive interview, the Cardinal was then 70 and he said at this age he is a bit leery about observing still another silver jubilee, feeling he’s too old for celebrations.
Cardinal Sin was born on August 31, 1928 in New Washington, Aklan. He died, in the grace of the Lord on June 21, 2005, due to a lingering illness.
And as Johnny Dayang will always say: “Cardinal Sin has left us a legacy of freedom and justice, forged in deep personal courage.”
So, would he consider his 25 years in Manila a success” “Ah, I should not be the one to judge.” What he does believe is that his is already so long where most lasted so briefly could indicate success indeed – or only sheer vitality. Or both?
“Anyway, I’m happy I was able to reach my silver jubilee in the See of Manila. I am its 30th Archbishop and I believe the longest to stay. Others landed and died. Or stayed a month and died. The Manila climate was not agreeable to them.”
But the last time we visited him his brother, Dr. Ramon Sin in his palace in Mandaluyong, he was suffering from a prolonged illness. It has practically slowed him down.
Gone are the portly form, the apple checks, the booming voice, the roar of laughter – though one had felt all that to be but a disguise for a man essentially inward and still. He is a leaner now, very pale, with a voice barely above a whisper. The sparser hair is cropped very close. Even the eyes that were so lustrous have lost their sparkle.
“But do not talk about my illness or you will make me sad. St. Paul thanked God for his illnesses because, by suffering, he completed the Passion of Christ. So sickness is a grace, a blessing from above. If you are not ill once in a while, you become too proud. Here I am: I was ill, I suffered, but the good Lord saved me and I recovered. My doctors were very good doctors, 17 of them, and they come one by one to treat me without calling them. I was not allowed visitors so I could rest. And I got cured. But I was not afraid of dying and facing God. It is just but normal to die – though I would not prefer not to die from, say, lupus. And when one is alive one should not think of death. One should appreciate life because God is the owner of life.”
He is happy about what he has accomplished in his 25 years in Manila.
‘I was able to unite the clergy here, who were divided before I came. Now, at their gatherings, the concord is beautiful. I have set up a pension plan for them. When a priest of ours retires, he gets P20,000 a month. And this is the only diocese that pays its catechists. All these are because of the money I have saved. In my time we built 72 churches and established 147 new parishes.”
What he proposes for the See of Manila is to break it up.
“Manila is the biggest Archdiocese in the entire world. New York has, I think, a congregation of two million: Manila has eleven million. Parañaque alone has over 80 parishes; so does Quezon City. Pasay has, I think, around 90. When the See becomes too big it has to be divided. That is prescribed by the Canon Law. The districts of Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Quezon City, Kalookan – have each enough parishes to form a diocese. Then our too many auxiliary bishops could become resident bishops of these new Sees, if Manila See is broken up. But Rome won’t approve it. And that is the Pope’s prerogative.”
During this exclusive interview, the Cardinal was then 70 and he said at this age he is a bit leery about observing still another silver jubilee, feeling he’s too old for celebrations.
Cardinal Sin was born on August 31, 1928 in New Washington, Aklan. He died, in the grace of the Lord on June 21, 2005, due to a lingering illness.
And as Johnny Dayang will always say: “Cardinal Sin has left us a legacy of freedom and justice, forged in deep personal courage.”
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