VATICAN CITY (Zenit/CNS): Pope Benedict XVI said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Cardinal Jaime Sin, 76, the retired Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines, who died on June 21.
The Pope relayed his sentiments in a message of sympathy to the Archdiocese of Manila, which the cardinal headed for almost three decades.
In a telegram to the prelate’s successor, Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, the Holy Father recalled “with gratitude Cardinal Sin’s unfailing commitment to the spread of the Gospel and to the promotion of the dignity, common good, and national unity of the Philippine people”.
He imparted his apostolic blessing to those gathered in Manila for a Mass for the cardinal’s eternal rest.
A prime motivator of the “People Power” movement in the Philippines that led to the ousting of two presidents, Cardinal Sin had been in poor health for years, suffering from kidney ailments and diabetes that forced him to undergo daily dialysis treatments even before his retirement as Archbishop of Manila in 2003.
