Vidal ‘a tough act to follow’ – Villegas

CEBU, Philippines — In the middle of his homily before a crowd of mourning Cebuanos, an emotional Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the highest-ranking Catholic official in the country, paused for about 25 seconds, trying to compose himself as he began his eulogy.

In a shivering voice, he uttered, “Eminence, pray for us.” Then Villegas wept, and so did some of the people in their seats inside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, flew to Cebu yesterday to officiate the Requiem Mass last night at the wake of Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who died Wednesday at the age of 86 due to complications of pneumonia.

“Eminence, we will never be the same because you have left us. But we will always ask in the greatness of your legacy, in the greatness of your example, in the zeal of your heart, in the holiness of your life. Eminence, rest well. Rest in the heart of the Lord,” he said.

What Vidal showed to his fellow men of the cloth, Villegas said, was an example that was “difficult to follow.” Still, he called on priests to keep trying to emulate the virtues and values that Vidal lived by.

Christ, Church, courtesy

Villegas said Vidal used three Cs in leading people closer to Jesus: Christ, Church, and courtesy.

He said Christ and Vidal were of the same persona because “seeing him (Vidal) was seeing Jesus.” Until his last breath on October 18, Vidal’s life was spent totally in the service of God, said Villegas.

“Some people are given long life so that they can live as martyrs in every day of their lives and Cardinal Vidal was that,” he said.

Villegas also associated Vidal to the Church, describing him as a man faithful to the Church’s teachings and doctrines.

“(He was) a man of the Church, who was always respectful to the hierarchy, a man of the Church who was always in love with the people of God… Cardinal Vidal was always that reverential pastor,” he said.

Vidal, who once served as CBCP president, also showed tender love towards his fellow bishops, according to Villegas.

Finally, Villegas emphasized that Vidal was a man full of courteousness. “Like a true child of Marinduque, his favorite word was ‘po.’ He never missed a chance to be polite, to be courteous, to be respectful,” he said.

Villegas pointed out that Vidal may be short physically, but was a “giant in virtue.”

“Cardinal Vidal may be small in height compared with other Filipinos but he stands tall among all Filipinos because he reminds us of Christ, of the Church, of the great needed virtues, which (are) courtesy, humility, and respectfulness,” he said.

funeral details

Vidal succumbed to septic shock a week into his confinement at a hospital in Cebu City. He had been battling pneumonia and was later found to have acquired sepsis, a condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.

Vidal will be laid to rest at 9 a.m. of October 26 at the mausoleum located at the back of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, said Msgr. Joseph Tan, the media liaison officer of the Cebu archdiocese.

Tan said Church officials decided to refurbish the place which seemed dilapidated already. The mausoleum was built as a holy resting place for the remains of bishops and clergy of Cebu.

Tan said the daily novena at Vidal’s wake is set at 8 p.m. and will continue until the day of his burial.

But on October 21, Saturday, Vidal’s remains will be brought to the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Pedro Calungsod inside the Archbishop compound along D. Jakosalem Street in Cebu City.

The Catholic Church will mark on that day the fifth anniversary of San Pedro Calungsod’s sainthood.

Vidal was instrumental to Calungsod’s canonization, having played as one of the proponents and initiators for the cause of his sainthood. (FREEMAN)