|
Cardinal Sin laid to rest as nation mourns
MANILA, 28 June 2005— BELOVED JAIME CARDINAL SIN, former manila archbishop was finally laid to rest on Tuesday.
The archbishop, who died on June 21 at age 76 from multiple organ failure, has been buried in crypt beneath the manila cathedral.
During the sermon delivered by Balanga Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas, who also served as Sin's auxiliary bishop, mourners became emotional when he recalled his golden memories with the cardinal. He also recalled Cardinal Sin's rallying cry and one of his last words before he died: "Vamos (Let us go)."
"With this word," Villegas declared,""We heard God through his voice. We knew that his voice was the voice of Emmanuel, God-with-us. This is the way of Jesus. Jesus walks with us. He goes with us. He does not tell us to go where He Himself has not been. Jesus bids us, 'Vamos!'Let us go. I am with you. Fear not."
He also said that the frequent invitation of Cardinal Sin was "Vamos."
"He meant it that way. He did not just send us off; he walked with us and held our hands as we walked through the uncertainties of life. He came with us each time," he said. "This time as his parting invitation to us, he leaves us with 'Vamos'. Let us go to Heaven. Although it looks like he has left us and has left us behind, in faith, I believe what he meant was truly 'Vamos!'Let us go together. He did not say, "Farewell". He did not say 'Adios!'He said 'Vamos'with certainty that we will go to Heaven one day."
"As we walked through the uncertainties of life, he came with us everytime," Villegas added.
After the Mass, Sin's coffin was lowered by pulley into the ground beneath the cathedral, beside the tomb of Archbishop Gabriel B. Reyes, the first Filipino Archbishop of Manila-- a spot he had personally chosen.
A handful of the Cardinal Sin's colleagues accompanied the coffin. The rest of the cardinals doffed their skullcaps, in tribute.
Sin, who became a national phenomenon, received a hero's send-off from the healthy and the lame, the privileged and the poor before being lowered privately into a simple grave.
From the first to the last day at his wake, thousands of mourners flocked to the cathedral-- a kneeling, standing, tearful and radiant throng of students, teachers, seminarians and lay people.
Even after his coffin had disappeared, the huge crowd-- in and outside the church-- was unwilling to let go. Hundreds of thousands of other mourners tuned in to the funeral Mass on radios and televisions. (Roy Q. Lagarde)
|
