CEBU, Philippines – Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the country’s most senior cardinal, passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 86.
Monsignor Joseph Tan, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu, confirmed to The FREEMAN that Vidal passed away at 7:26 a.m. at the intensive care unit of Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu City.
The prelate has been in and out of the hospital this year due to pneumonia.
Vidal resigned as the Archbishop of Cebu on October 15, 2010, his resignation given a nod by then Pope Benedict XVI. He was eventually succeeded by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.
Vidal was a native of Mogpog, Marinduque and became priest in 1959. He was installed the Archbishop of Lipa in 1973.
In 1981, he was appointed by the late Pope John Paul II as Coadjutor Archbishop of Cebu before becoming the province’s archbishop in less than a year.