Cardinal Vidal blows the candle on his birthday cake as his successor, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma looks on. (CDN PHOTO/Sammy Navaja)
Turning 83 years old yesterday, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal already considers his life as a “bonus from the Lord.”
“I have been with you for over 30 years and some asked me how come you were able to stay long in Cebu. My answer is because the Cebuanos are good people. And number two because the clergy of Cebu is very good. So if you have a good laity and priests, I will not ask the Holy Father to change my appointment,” he told reporters.
Vidal, the Philippines’ most senior cardinal, was hospitalized last Jan. 21 but was discharged three days after.
“They found out that I have some begginings of pneumonia. But the pneumonia has no fever and no cough. So, I was told to go home. I was told (by my physician) to take care so I won’ be exposed to colds,” he said.
The cardinal presided over a Mass at his private chapel inside his retirement home at the Sto. Niño Village in barangay Banilad, Cebu City yesterday morning.
Among those who attended the Eucharistic celebration were Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Palo Archbishop John Du, Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Emilio Bataclan, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus
Antonio Rañola, as well as Bishops Christian Vicente Noel of Talibon, Julito Cortes of Dumaguete, Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog, Antonieto Cabajog of Surigao, and Filomeno Bactol of Naval
Several members of the clergy and lay people, including former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., were also present.
At the end of the Mass, the congregation led by the Society of the Angel of Peace sang a birthday song for Vidal, whose spiritual guidance and advice remain to be sought by Church officials in the country.
Archbishop Palma then took a slice of cake and fed Vidal, who did the same to his successor.
Palma is “forever grateful to the Lord” for giving the Church Cardinal Vidal.
“God is good for giving us the person of his eminence. Let us pray that the Lord will give him more years to live. We thank the Lord for His Eminence. And we thank His Eminence for his generous service,” the archbishop said.
Without Vidal’s efforts and leadership, Palma said the Philippines would not have its second saint, San Pedro Calungsod.
“In 2000, there were more than 40 who were beatified. Of the number, only San Pedro Calungsod was canonized as of now. The other year, seven were canonized, including San Pedro Calungsod. And of the seven, only San Pedro Calungsod has a portrait inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. And that’s all because of Cardinal Vidal,” Palma said.
Archbishop Du said Vidal will have an important role in the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu City.
“The cardinal’s presence is very influential. His holiness is very contaminating. His presence is really more than anything else,” Du said.
Vidal retired in 2011 and was replaced by Archbishop Palma.
He was born on Feb. 6, 1931 in Mogpog, Marinduque, ordained as priest on March 17, 1956 and a bishop on Nov. 30, 1971.
He first came to Cebu in 1981 when he was coadjutor archbishop and was installed as Cebu archbishop on Sept. 18, 1982 after the death of Julio Cardinal Rosales.