MANILA, Philippines (CNS): Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila has blessed and declared as “holy ground” the site of the two “people power” revolts that peacefully ousted Philippine presidents accused of wrongdoing.
The blessing on February 25 was part of a day-long commemoration of the Manila area uprising that deposed former President Ferdinand Marcos on February 25, 1986, and installed Corazon Aquino as the country’s first woman president.
“We are standing on holy ground. God made this ground holy,” Cardinal Sin said during his homily at Mary Queen of Peace Shrine in Quezon City.
“The glory of God was shown through the millions who kept vigil in 1986 and again in 2001,” he added on the 15th anniversary of the event. “We stood on this ground for a new leadership and God answered our plea.”
Cardinal Sin said the Holy See had granted a petition for plenary indulgence to those who make a pilgrimage to the holy ground. He called on Catholics to make the pilgrimage for five first Saturdays.
In 1989, the Mary Queen of Peace Shrine was built with a towering bronze-plated statue of the Blessed Mother that Filipinos call “Our Lady of EDSA”.
Cardinal Sin also credits the Blessed Mother for the success of the second uprising on January 16-20 this year.
This time some 2 million Filipinos, mostly students and young professionals, converged at the shrine to pray for the resignation of ousted President Joseph Estrada. The Philippine bishops had declared him without the moral authority to govern after evidence that he had pocketed kickbacks from illegal gambling.
