62 years of service to God, people

CEBU, Philippines — He was not from Cebu but the late Ricardo Cardinal Vidal chose to serve the Cebuanos for nearly three decades.

In fact, before he passed away yesterday morning, it was here that he chose to spend his retirement. He retired as Archbishop in 2011.

A native of Mogpog town in Marindique, Vidal took up theology studies at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Seminary (formerly Minor Seminary of the Most Holy Rosary) in Sariaya, Quezon and the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City in Metro Manila. He then took up philosophy at the Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in Lipa City, Batangas.

On September 24, 1955, he was ordained as deacon and, a few months later, was ordained as priest on March 17 in Lucena, Quezon Province.

In 1971, Vidal was appointed as Coadjutor (assistant) Bishop of Malolos and was later consecrated as diocesan bishop.

It was in Lipa City where he first served as archbishop until he was transferred to Cebu in the early 1980s.

It was then Pope John Paul II, now a saint, who appointed Vidal as Coadjutor Archbishop of Cebu in 1981.

It was on August 24, 1982 when Vidal was named officially as archbishop, replacing Cardinal Julio Rosales.

During his stint as archbishop, Vidal was elected president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), a position he held for a year.

On October 15, 2010, he stepped down officially as archbishop with acknowledgement from Pope Benedict XVI.

History has marked Vidal as one of the country’s most influential Catholic Church leaders. He and the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin supported the 1986 EDSA revolution that ousted then President Ferdinand Marcos.

Vidal also played a part in the 2001 People Power Revolution, which called President Joseph Estrada to step down.

With controversies surrounding the current government’s war on drugs, Vidal paid a courtesy visit to President Rodrigo Duterte to open communication lines between the state and the church. (FREEMAN)