Jaime Sin

In thisPhilippine name,themiddle nameor maternalfamily nameisLachicaand the surname or paternal family name isSin.

His Eminence Jaime Sin CCLH,GCS,GCrL,gcYC
CardinalArchbishop of Manila
Sin in 1988
Province	Manila (Emeritus)
See	Archdiocese of Manila(Emeritus)
Installed	March 19, 1974
Term ended	September 15, 2003
Predecessor	Rufino Santos
Successor	Gaudencio Rosales
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria ai Monti
Orders
Ordination	April 3, 1954 by Antonio Frondosa
Consecration	March 18, 1967 by Antonio Frondosa
Created cardinal	May 24, 1976 byPope Paul VI
Rank	Cardinal-priest
Personal details
Born	Jaime Lachica Sin (1928-08-31)August 31, 1928 New Washington,Capiz,Philippine Islands
Died	June 21, 2005(2005-06-21)(aged 76) San Juan,Philippines
Buried	Crypt,Manila Cathedral
Nationality	Filipino
Denomination	Catholic Church
Parents	Juan Sin (father) Máxima Lachica (mother)
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro (1967–1972) Archbishop of Jaro(1972–1974)
Alma mater	St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary
Motto	Serviam "I will serve"
Signature
Coat of arms

Styles of Jaime Lachica Sin
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Manila

Ordination history of Jaime Sin
History Priestly ordination Ordained by Antonio Frondosa Date April 3, 1954 Place Jaro, Iloilo City Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Antonio Frondosa (Capiz) Co-consecrators Juan Nicolasora Nilmar Manuel S. Salvador Date March 18, 1967 Cardinalate Date May 24, 1976
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by Jaime Sin as principal consecrator Antonio Buenafe March 30, 1976 Federico O. Escaler July 31, 1976 Generoso C. Camiña May 24, 1978 Manuel C. Sobreviñas May 25, 1979 Lucilo B. Quiambao April 27, 1982 Warlito Cajandig y Itcuas June 21, 1989 Crisostomo Yalung May 31, 1994 Rolando Joven Tria Tirona December 29, 1994 Pedro D. Arigo May 18, 1996 José Paala Salazar June 7, 1996 Jesse E. Mercado March 31, 1997 Honesto Ongtioco June 18, 1998 Socrates B. Villegas August 31, 2001 Nereo P. Odchimar November 27, 2001 Luis Antonio Tagle December 12, 2001 José Corazón Tumbagahan Tala-oc July 30, 2003

Jaime Lachica SinPLH,OS,OL(Chinese:Tân hải mai, tân hải miên;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Sin Hái-mûi, Sin Hái-mî;August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005), commonly and formally known asJaime Cardinal Sin,was the 30th CatholicArchbishop of Manilaand the thirdcardinalfrom the Philippines. He was instrumental in the historic and peaceful 1986People Power Revolution,which toppled the dictatorship and endedmartial law under Ferdinand Marcosand installedCorazon Aquinoas his successor in theFifth Republic of the Philippines.He was also a key figure in the2001 EDSA Revolutionthat replaced PresidentJoseph EstradawithGloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Early life

Sin was born on August 31, 1928, inNew Washington,Aklan,on the island of Panay to Juan Sin, a merchant ofChinese descent,and Máxima Lachica, an ethnicAklanon."Jim" as he was known, was his mother's favorite. As the 14th of 16 children he was 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 inSt. Vincent Ferrer Seminary,and was ordained a priest of theArchdiocese of Jaroon April 3, 1954.He was the first rector ofSt. Pius X Seminaryin Lawaan Hills,Roxas City,Capiz,serving from 1957 to 1967. On February 29, 1960, Sin was named Domestic Prelate (now calledhonorary prelate,with the title ofMonsignor).

Bishop of Obba

Sin was appointedauxiliary bishopof Jaro on February 10, 1967,and was consecrated bishop of thetitular seeof Obba on March 18 of that year.

Archbishop of Jaro

On March 15, 1972, Sin was appointedCoadjutor Archbishopof Jaro, taking on administrative roles in the archdiocese, while holding thetitular seeofMassa Lubrense.On October 8, 1972, Sin was appointed Archbishop of Jaro.

Archbishop of Manila

The coat of arms used by Cardinal Sin as Cardinal-Archbishop of Manila from 1976, the year he was created as cardinal by Pope Paul VI, to 2003, the year he retired.

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 enrhroned as Archbishop atManila Cathedralon 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 VImade him a member of theCollege of Cardinals,creating himCardinal Priestof the titular church ofSanta 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 theAugust 1978andOctober 1978papal conclaveswhich elected PopesJohn Paul IandJohn Paul IIrespectively. In the August conclave, he reportedly toldAlbino 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 adeadly sin) were a point of humour 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 inMandaluyong.

1986 People Power Revolution

Events in the Philippines underPresidentFerdinand Marcosforced 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 theGospelsand 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 leaderBenigno 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 StaffFidel Ramos,who had broken with Marcos.More than one million people took to the streets praying therosaryand 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 thePeople Power Revolution,Marcos, his family, and close advisors were forced to flee the Philippinesand took up residence inHonolulu, Hawaii,US, on the invitation ofU.S. PresidentRonald Reagan.Cardinal Sin, along with presidentsCorazon AquinoandFidel 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 ofanother People Power Movement.Some Filipinos alleged that presidentJoseph Estradawas 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 elevatingGloria Macapagal Arroyoas 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 theVaticanordering 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 theSupreme CourtAssociate JusticeArtemio Panganiban(later, Chief Justice of the Philippines), a member of thePontifical Council for the Laity,a department of theRoman 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

Sin retired as Archbishop of Manila on September 15, 2003, and was succeeded by Lipa ArchbishopGaudencio Borbon Rosales.He was too ill to travel to the2005 papal conclavethat electedPope Benedict XVI.Afflicted for years with akidneyailment brought on bydiabetes,he was taken on June 19, 2005, to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center inSan Juan, Metro Manila,because of a slight but lingering fever. He died ofrenal failureon June 21, 2005, at the age of 76.The government accorded him the honour of astate funeraland a period of national mourning through Presidential Proclamation No. 863, s. 2005 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was buried beside his three immediate predecessors in the crypt ofManila Cathedralafter a funeral attended by thousands of Filipinos.

Honors and awards

National honors

• :Philippine Legion of Honor,Chief Commander (CCLH)
• :Order of Sikatuna,Grand Collar (GCS)
• :Order of Lakandula,Grand Cross (GCrL)
• :Knights of Rizal,Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR)

Foreign honor

• :Order of Isabella the Catholic,Knight Grand Cross (gcYC) - (June 24, 1977)

Sin also received 26 honorary doctorates in various fields from higher education institutions in the Philippines and abroad (mostly from notable universities in the United States of America), among which are thePontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila,Yale University,Georgetown University,Brandeis UniversityandBoston College.

Views on Catholic social issues

Views on condom use

As a predominantly Catholic country, issues in the Philippines have and are influenced by the church to varying degrees.Condomusage has historically been a controversial topic.As the incumbent Archbishop of Manila in 1996, when the government distributed condoms to curbHIVinfection rates, Sin called the programme "intrinsically evil",in line withChurch teaching on the matter.Sin also denounced then-Health SecretaryJuan Flavier,with some asserting that the latter's condom promotion had made him an unwitting agent of Satan.Prominent Catholics also protested against the government's condom-distribution programme by publicly burning boxes of condoms.

External links

• O'Donnell, Michelle (June 21, 2005)."Cardinal Jaime Sin, a Champion of the Poor in the Philippines, Is Dead at 76".New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 8,2008.
• "Philippine Cardinal Jaime L. Sin Dies at 76".Washington PostRetrieved 2011-09-18.
• Archdiocese of Manila Biostatistics
• Catholic Hierarchy – Jaime Lachica Cardinal Sin †