Vidal’s last will opened; Palma is executor

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma officiates a Mass for All Souls’ Day at the Cathedral mausoleum where the body of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is interred along with other church leaders.
CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO

CEBU Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal’s last will and testament has been opened and read by the archdiocese in an intimate meeting with family members last Monday.

According to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who is also the executor of Vidal’s will, the document contained the prelate’s wishes as to where his assets will go after his death.

“There’s a long list of how much would go to the Sisters of Mother Teresa, to the clergy, to the seminary. These are things that are part of the usual last will of a priest,” he told reporters yesterday.

Palma celebrated a Mass inside the mausoleum of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral yesterday morning on All Souls’ Day for Cardinal Vidal and his predecessor, the late archbishop of Cebu, Julio Cardinal Rosales.

Although he did not go into details, Palma said Cardinal Vidal’s will also stipulated his letting go of some of the properties of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu (RCAC) including his retirement house at the Sto. Niño Village in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, which has been donated to the archdiocese.

Members of his household, including those who served the late cardinal like nurses and caregivers also set to leave the house, he added.

“Life has to go on. We will miss him but we know that this is the reality of the church. Even in the universal church, one pope resigns, another pope comes in . We could not really find someone like the cardinal, but we have to make do with what we have and try to make the best with our own resources and talents and abilities and believe that the Lord is with us in all of our journey,” Palma said.

For now, Palma said they are yet to meet and discuss as to who will stay in the retirement house.

He said he will continue to stay at the archbishop’s residence since he is not yet retired.

Meanwhile, Palma also said that there will be a Mass to be celebrated by Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo on November 26 for the 40th day since the death of Cardinal Vidal.

Palma won’t be able to attend the Mass as he would be flying to Myanmar for the visit of Pope Francis. He said he was personally invited by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, who was also the papal legate to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which was held in Cebu in January 2016.

But according to Msgr. Joseph Tan, spokesperson of the archdiocese, it will be Palma who will be opening the Novena Masses nine days before the 40th day of the cardinal’s death.

Homily

In his homily during yesterday’s Mass, Palma thanked the people who came out to attend the Mass for the souls of the departed “shepherds” who have served the Archdiocese of Cebu namely Cardinals Vidal and Rosales.

He said that while the people may be poorer with Cardinal Vidal’s death, they should think they’re richer for being blessed during the time he was still alive.

“It’s good to remember how they made us richer with their presence when they were still alive,” he said.

After the Mass, Palma blessed the niches of Cardinals Vidal and Rosales inside the mausoleum.