Jaime Sin

Jaime Lachica Sin (August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005) was a Filipino Catholic prelate who served as the 30th archbishop of Manila from 1974 until his retirement in 2003. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1976.

Born in New Washington, Aklan, Sin began his ministry as a priest and later a bishop in Archdiocese of Jaro. He rose to national prominence as Archbishop of Manila during the martial law rule of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Initially adopting a soft stance toward the Marcos government, Sin became increasingly vocal in his criticism of the regime, particularly after a military raid on the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches. He later played a pivotal role in the 1986 People Power Revolution, broadcasting an appeal over the radio for civilians to gather on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to support military defectors against Marcos.

Sin issued a similar call to rally in 2001, demanding the resignation of President Joseph Estrada during the Second EDSA Revolution. He retired as Manila's archbishop two years later, on September 15, 2003. Sin died on June 21, 2005 at the age of 76 and was accorded state honors.

Early life

Sin was born on August 31, 1928, in New Washington, Aklan (then a part of Capiz), on the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, to Juan Sin, a merchant of Chinese descent, and Máxima Lachica, an ethnic Aklanon. "Jim", as he was known, was his mother's favorite. As the 14th of 16 children, he was a painfully thin, asthmatic child, who often used to cuddle up between his parents to sleep at night. When he asked his nurse why his mother lavished such attention on him, he was told it was because he was "the weakest and ugliest of the brood".

Life as a priest

Early priesthood

Sin left his childhood home and his family to study in St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary, in Iloilo City and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Jaro on April 3, 1954. He was the first rector of St. Pius X Seminary in Lawaan Hills, Roxas City, Capiz, serving from 1957 to 1967. On February 29, 1960, Sin was named Domestic Prelate (now called honorary prelate, with the title of Monsignor).

Bishop of Jaro

Sin was appointed auxiliary bishop of Jaro on February 10, 1967, and was consecrated bishop of the titular see of Obba on March 18 of that year.

Archbishop of Jaro

On March 15, 1972, Sin was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Jaro, taking on administrative roles in the archdiocese, while holding the titular see of Massa Lubrense. On October 8, 1972, Sin was appointed Archbishop of Jaro.

Archbishop of Manila

Sin was appointed Archbishop of Manila on January 21, 1974. Initially, he was reluctant to take on the role of leading the Church in the Philippines. He was enthroned as Archbishop at Manila Cathedral on March 19, 1974, making him only the third native Filipino in the office after centuries of Spanish, American, and Irish archbishops.

On May 24, 1976, Pope Paul VI made him a member of the College of Cardinals, creating him Cardinal Priest of the titular church of Santa Maria ai Monti. As is traditional for cardinals, the title "Cardinal" is inserted before his surname when addressed formally. He participated as a cardinal-elector in both the August 1978 and October 1978 papal conclaves which elected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively. In the August conclave, he reportedly told Albino Luciani, "You will be the new pope." After Luciani was elected John Paul I, Cardinal Sin paid him homage, and the new pope said: "You were a prophet, but my reign will be a short one." He remained the youngest member of the College until 1983.

His title and surname as "cardinal sin" (another term for a deadly sin) were a point of humor in the Philippines and for Filipino Catholics. Examples included "The greatest sin of all: Cardinal Sin," and even his own pun of "Welcome to the house of Sin" that he used to greet guests at Villa San Miguel, the secondary archiepiscopal palace in Mandaluyong.

1986 People Power Revolution

Events in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos forced Sin, the spiritual leader of Filipino Catholics, to become involved in politics. He became witness to corruption, fraud, and even murder by the regime and rising popular discontent with the dictatorial rule of Marcos and his wife, Imelda. Within six months of his appointment as Archbishop, Sin was criticizing authorities after the military raided a Manila seminary on the grounds that it was harbouring insurgents. Sin appealed to Filipinos of all religions to follow the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels and use peaceful means to change the political situation in the Philippines.

Beginning in the 1970s, Cardinal Sin, a moderate, was among the leaders who publicly pressured President Marcos to end martial law, which had been imposed in the belief that leftist radicals would overthrow the government. Sin eventually decided to speak out in support of Corazon Aquino, the widow of the assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr., in calling for an end to martial law. This led to massive popular demonstrations, often led by nuns whom riot police dared not attack. In February 1986, Sin called on Filipinos to surround the police and military headquarters in Manila to protect then-military Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos, who had broken with Marcos. More than one million people took to the streets praying the rosary and singing hymns in an outpouring that shielded anti-government rebels from attack. Some soldiers decided to join the marchers.

In what later became known as the People Power Revolution, Marcos, his family, and close advisors were forced to flee the Philippines and took up residence in Honolulu, Hawaii, US, on the invitation of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Cardinal Sin, along with presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, became known to Filipinos as the architects of the People Power Movement.

2001 EDSA Revolution

Sin decided to intervene again in 2001 to become spiritual leader of another People Power Movement. Some Filipinos alleged that president Joseph Estrada was guilty of widespread corruption and graft because of the controversial "second envelope". Poor people marching in the streets, with the support of Sin, the elite, and military generals, succeeded in toppling Estrada from power and elevating Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as acting president in what was perceived by the international community as a "triumphant" democracy. The "second envelope" was opened after the coup and turned out to be Estrada's bank account. Commenting on the endemic corruption that persisted after Marcos, Sin said, "We got rid of Ali Baba, but the 40 thieves remained." It was reported that the cardinal's actions caused uneasiness at the Vatican and that he was summoned to Rome to explain himself.

Hours before hundreds of soldiers and officers staged a failed revolt against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in July 2003, Sin urged Filipinos to be vigilant against groups plotting to violently overturn the country's democratic institutions.

Two and a half years after Sin's death, it was reported that at the height of EDSA II, Sin received a directive from the Vatican ordering him and the Philippine clergy to adopt a non-partisan stance towards the political crisis. Sin, who by then had committed support for the EDSA II revolt, was said to have threatened to resign as archbishop if compelled to withdraw his support. The standoff was reportedly resolved with the mediation of the Supreme Court Associate Justice Artemio Panganiban (later, Chief Justice of the Philippines), a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, a department of the Roman Curia. As a result, the Vatican did not persist with its earlier demand. The reports were attributed to persons reputed to have first-hand knowledge of the events, but they were not confirmed officially by the Vatican or the Archdiocese of Manila.

Retirement and death

Cardinal Sin retired as Archbishop of Manila on September 15, 2003, and was succeeded by Gaudencio Borbon Rosales, Archbishop of Lipa. Cardinal Sin was too ill to travel to the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Afflicted for years with a kidney ailment brought on by diabetes, he was taken on June 19, 2005, to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan because of a slight but lingering fever. He died of renal failure on June 21, 2005, at the age of 76. The government accorded him the honour of a state funeral and a period of national mourning through Presidential Proclamation No. 863, s. 2005 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was buried on June 28 beside his three immediate predecessors in the crypt of Manila Cathedral after a funeral attended by thousands of Filipinos.