Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal shows his handwritten letter in Spanish for Pope Francis, wishing him a fruitful visit in the Philippines. Vidal apologized that due to health reasons, he could not attend the events. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Su Santidad,” the letter begins.
In Spanish, this means “His Holiness,” a title reserved for the Pope.
In a handwritten letter, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal welcomed Pope Francis to the Philippines and apologized for not being able to attend the activities during his visit to Manila and Leyte due to poor health.
The 83-year-old prelate was advised by his doctors to stay home while recuperating from pneumonia.
Vidal, the most senior cardinal in the Philippines, could barely walk yesterday and has been experiencing shortness of breath.
At night when he sleeps, an oxygen tube is attached to his nose to help him breathe.
“I almost died (last year). And I have not yet recovered from my sickness. I was allowed to go home (from the hospital) but I could not even go to my dining room without the help of somebody. I’m quite weak,” Vidal told reporters who visited him at his retirement home in Sto. Niño Village in Banilad, Cebu City.
Since he could not attend the papal activities in Manila and Leyte, Vidal sent a letter for Pope Francis to read.
The letter, handwritten in Spanish, was brought by Bishop Antonio Rañola to Manila last Sunday and shall be given by Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to the Holy Father when he arrives in the Philippines on Thursday.
Translating the contents of the letter, Vidal said, “In union with all the bishops of the Philippines and the clergy of Cebu, I say welcome. Having been sick of pneumonia, I still feel weak up to the present. I could not come to meet you. Therefore, please excuse my absence. I will offer my suffering for the intentions of the Holy Father and for his fruitful visit to the Philippines.”
Last Oct. 18, 2014, Vidal was rushed to the Perpetual Succour Hospital and was diagnosed to have pneumonia. He was confined in the ICU for three weeks.
Vidal said he feels sad because he won’t be able to attend Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines.
The cardinal last talked to him the day after Pope Francis’ election on March 13, 2013.
During the first audience with Pope Francis, Vidal recalled that they had the longest chat among all other senior cardinals.
“All other elderly cardinals ahead of me talked in Italian so when it was my turn I said, ‘Santo Padre’. He was surprised and asked, Habla Español? (Do you speak Spanish?) He was asking questions. The cardinals were only allowed to talk to the Holy Father for two to three minutes. But my conversation with him lasted 10 to 15 minutes,” he said.
Vidal said he admired Pope Francis’ humility and simplicity.
“This pope has something else which I do not find in other popes I’ve met. He’s very simple and he’s really practicing the humility of Jesus Christ. He has given us an example to follow,” he said.
He recalled the surprise of fellow cardinals when Pope Francis appeared to them after his election.
“We’re used to seeing popes wearing all the regalia but when he came in, he was just wearing his old black shoes, pants, and socks. So we were all amazed. He didn’t even sit on the elevated chair. Instead, he had the chair placed at our level,” he added.
If he had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis in Manila, Vidal said he would have invited him to return to the Philippines and attend the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu City in Jan. 15 to 18 next year.
“It’s not good to invite the Pope to Cebu through a letter. It should be personal,” he said.
“Sayang, he would have seen the religiosity of our people (Cebu).”
Vidal is one of four Philippine cardinals along with Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila Gaudencio Rosales, and Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo.