Sin: God is real hero of EDSA II

Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin said yesterday God was the real hero of EDSA II which culminated in the overthrow of President Joseph Estrada one year ago yesterday.

During a Mass celebrating the first anniversary of EDSA II at the Mary Queen of Peace Shrine in Mandaluyong yesterday, Sin in his homily said that no person mustered the throng at EDSA last year, rather it was God at work in His people.

"The real hero of our second EDSA people power is not one person to another," he said. "The real hero is God who is at work in His people."

Sin said EDSA II must be celebrated by reaching out to the poor, away from the flashing lights of cameras, as Jesus would have served them.

"The poor are the treasures of the Church and the nation," he said. "The poor are not only recipients of charitable help. They are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Our love for the poor cannot come as money doleouts given from afar."

He also described the poor as "jewels of our society" and not to be used for "decoration and romantic charity photos."

Though Sin’s admonition was addressed to no one in particular, President Arroyo readily accepted his advice.

"I very much like the advice of Cardinal Sin that the visits (to depressed areas) and dialogues (with the poor) will be much better if there were not much photographers in the places that I go to," she told reporters after the Mass.

Though she admitted that her scheduled visit yesterday to urban poor areas was widely disseminated to media for coverage, she said not only journalists were invited.

"I am challenging the rich to join me in my sorties (to depressed areas). But tomorrow, I will visit the urban poor and there would be no media coverage," she said.

Her meetings with the urban poor, she said, is her way of celebrating the first anniversary of people power 2, where instead of calling on people to gather at the shrine, she would be the one visiting their homes to assure them of government’s support for them and remind them of their duty to uphold the ideals of the two EDSA revolutions.

"The celebration of people power 2 is now more meaningful," she said.

A human face

Sin said love for the poor must have a human face and touch because they need friends, and that they need to be embraced and to be given time to talk with others.

"(The poor) need housing and medicine," he said. "They need education and food. They need clothing and jobs. But most of all, they need friendship, they need time, they need an embrace from us."

Sin said EDSA II cannot be celebrated without remembering the millions of young people who had filled up the area around the EDSA Shrine to call for Estrada’s overthrow.

"If we must celebrate EDSA II and live by its spirit, we must never forget the youth and the children," he said. "The children need us adults to mentor them, to tell them stories of heroism and greatness."

Sin said the "texting generation" may be too young to remember the heroism of EDSA I but that their parents can tell them about the greatness of the Filipino in 1986.

"Our children and youth must be there to learn the lessons of one great Filipino whose blood at the tarmac set the whole nation on fire with love," he said. "Our youth and children need examples to inspire them. They also need to know how to live as heroes because that is indeed what they are called to be."

Sin said he appreciated Mrs. Arroyo’s nod to his request that she attend the Mass as "an act of thanksgiving" instead of holding a rally at EDSA.

"It is high time that our celebrations of people power be less and less centered on one place," he said. "The EDSA Shrine is a house of prayer. It must be a place of solace and comfort, peace and grace. Let us keep this place that way."

Sin said the "EDSA spirit" must now be celebrated in the various "EDSA shrines in the hearts of the poor" in communities throughout the nation.

"Everybody is welcome to the EDSA Shrine provided the purpose of the place is respected — come here to pray, come here to sing songs to the Lord," he said. "Come here to serve the poor. Come here to reconcile with God and confess your sins. Come here and find peace for your souls."

Sin said he was celebrating the Mass to remember EDSA II when millions of Filipinos in black chanted and prayed to change the government.

"On this hallowed ground, blessed by the presence of Mary, Queen of Peace, on the feast of Sto. Niño, the second lady President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo was sworn into office," Sin said in his homily.

The President dispensed with the customary speech, apparently upon the request of Sin not to turn the celebrations into a political event.

She had earlier visited and met with urban poor leaders yesterday in Barangays Culiat, Payatas, Kristong Hari and Freedom Park all in Quezon City; Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Napocor compound in Muntinlupa City, and at Welfareville Compound in Mandaluyong City, with crowds numbering about a thousand at each site.

Attending the Mass were Mrs. Arroyo and the First Family, former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr., Education Secretary Raul Roco, former Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, former Presidential Management Staff head Victoria Garchitorena, and Dodi Limcaoco. – Sandy Araneta, Paolo Romero