Influential Philippine Cardinal Behind 'People Power' Movement, Jaime Sin, Dies at 76
Retired Cardinal Jaime Sin, an iconic Roman Catholic figure in the Philippines who who will be remembered most for rallying the public to stand up against dictatorship and government corruption, died at 76 on Tuesday.
Retired Cardinal Jaime Sin, an iconic Roman Catholic figure in the Philippines best known for rallying the public to stand up against dictatorship and government corruption, died Tuesday. He was 76.
He had been continually ill for years with kidney and diabetes problems. In 2003, he stepped down as Archbishop of Manila and had been living in seclusion there since then, according to the Philippine Star.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who often counseled with the former Cardinal said he was "a blessed man who never failed to unite Filipinos during the most crucial battles against tyranny and evil," according to the Associated Press.
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"History will mark this day of sadness when a great liberator of the Filipino people and a champion of God passed away. A legacy of freedom and justice forged in deep personal courage," she said in a statement.
He helped topple the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986, in order to protect senior government officials who had broken away from Marcos' government, Cardinal Sin called on Filipinos to surround the the police and military headquarters in Manila for protection, as over 1 million gathered for the effort.
The largely peaceful revolt led Marcos to exile, where he died in Hawaii in 1989, according to the Associated Press.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Archbishop of Davao Fernando Capalla said Sin was a great man, a great Filipino and a great prince of the Church.
"We are saddened that he left us. But we rejoice that the has entered into real life – one that never ends," he said.
The "people power" movement spearheaded by Cardinal Sin also helped organize large street protests that worked to topple another president accused of corruption and misrule; Joseph Estrada was ousted in 2001.
Sin was once described as "a power player who managed to turn the Catholic Church into a power center... a countervailing force against the Marcos government."
Although some critics viewed him as a "politician-priest", at his retirement ceremony , Sin explained that the Church should play an important role in the nation, saying that "politics without Christ is the greatest scourge of our nation," according the Philippine Star.
Manila Mayor Lito Atienza recalled the Cardinal as a leader who had to tread carefully, depending on God and prayers for guidance.
"I am sure that, on several occasions where he had to walk the fine line between religion and politics, Cardinal Sin agonized as he prayed for divine guidance. Every true shepherd agonizes as he tends to his flock. But now he rests, and we rejoice in the cardinal’s reunion with his Creator. I hope we can do justice to his life and work by continuing to uphold the values he so deeply cherished and the further cultivation of our Culture of Life," said the Mayor, according the the Manila Bulletin.
Sin was the son of a Chinese businessman and a Filipina. He was born in a coastal village named New Washington in the Philippine central province of Aklan on Aug. 31, 1928. He was the 14th of 16 children, and was the one who fulfilled his mother's desire that at least on of her children would become a priest.
He died at 6:15 a.m. local time at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Manila, on Tuesday. Cardinal sin will be buried on June 28, according to the Manila Bulletin.
