Pope sends condolences over cardinal's death

MANILA, Philippines - Pope Benedict XVI yesterday sent his condolences over the passing away of retired Jose Cardinal Sanchez last Friday morning.

CBCPNews reported that the condolences were sent via telegram addressed to emeritus Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

According to the Vatican’s Information Service, the text of the Pope’s telegram gratefully recalled “the late cardinal’s dedicated service to the Lord as a priest and bishop in his native country, as well as our service together in the Roman Curia during the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II.”

The Holy Father commended Cardinal Sanchez for his “noble soul” to the Lord and prayed “that his witness will inspire others to dedicate their lives to the service of the Lord and His Holy Church, especially in the priesthood.”

Sanchez was a prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy. He was head of the Vatican dicastery from 1991 until his retirement in 1996.

He died Friday morning at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center in San Juan City at the age of 91.

Manolo Sanchez, a nephew of the late cardinal, said that it was the dying wish of his uncle that the number of priests in the Philippines would multiply.

In fact, in his own way he encouraged the priesthood vocation in their family and province by putting up a P3-million trust fund from his own savings about 10 years ago.

In the trust fund, they would prioritize relatives who would want to become priests, followed by those from his hometown Pandan, and if no one is interested then Catanduanes residents who want to join the priesthood could use the trust fund.

“Even during the time that he was lying on his sickbed, he had always been praying that there would be more priests. He was always saying that and that is the reason why he was against the donation of flowers when he died. He preferred that the money be donated to those who wanted to become priests,” Manolo said.

Manolo added that there are members of the Sanchez family who became priests.

“In our province, it is a matter of pride for every family to have at least one priest. It is an honor for us to send somebody to the priesthood.”

Last Friday night, clergymen from the Sanchez family reportedly held a concelebrated mass.

The nephew said Cardinal Sanchez also often talked about his humble beginnings.

He reportedly came from an ordinary family and was sponsored by a bishop who noticed his intelligence.

Manolo told his uncle last February when they were in a hospital that he should get well because he would be celebrating his birthday the following month so he could sing again, but he died of multiple organ failure eight days before his 92nd birthday.

He recalled that when Cardinal Sanchez celebrated his birthday last year, he sang his favorite song “I Believe.”

He would also often remind his relatives that he would like to die a natural death.

“That was why he gave instructions to us and the hospital staff that in the event he would pass out, we should no longer revive him… He was prepared. He said that he if would go, he would not be a burden to us.”

He also did not want to be embalmed, believing it was not natural. But they had to defy his wishes in consideration of those who wanted to pay their respects to the late Cardinal.

One of the bishops who celebrated Mass during the wake at the Cathedral-Shrine of the Good Shepherd in Quezon City was Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio.

Bishop Gregorio revealed that it was Cardinal Sanchez who ordained him and Virac, Catanduanes Bishop Manolo de los Santos. He also expressed his gratitude to the Dominican Daughters who took good care of the Cardinal, whom he fondly called “Tatay.”

A priest for over 65 years, a bishop of over 43 years and a cardinal for more than 20 years, Cardinal Sanchez was the fifth Filipino named to the College of Cardinals after Archbishop Rufino Jiao Cardinal Santos of Manila (March 28, 1960), Archbishop Julio Ras Cardinal Rosales of Cebu (April 28, 1969), Archbishop Jaime L. Sin of Manila (May 24, 1976) and Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Jamin Vidal (May 25, 1985).

Sanchez was born in Pandan, Catanduanes on March 17, 1920 and ordained priest in Naga City on May 12, 1946. He rose from Assistant pastor of San Raphael Parish, Legazpi City to Vicar General, Diocese of Legazpi. Later on, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Caceres. He was appointed Bishop of Lucena, then Archbishop of Nueva Segovia.

He was appointed secretary to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and later as Prefect of Congregation of the Clergy on July 1, 1991. Until his death, he resided at the Dominican Daughters of the Immaculate Mother in Commonwealth, Quezon City, in the Diocese of Novaliches.

A funeral Mass will be held on tomorrow at 10 a.m. that would be presided over by retired Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who would also be the homilist. Afterward, the remains of Cardinal Sanchez would be buried in a crypt below the cathedral.