Cathedral mausoleum opens door to the public

CARDINAL VIDAL GRAVEYARD MASS/OCT.30,2017:Devotees take pictures of the grave were Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal remain lain to rest at the Metropolitan Cathedral Mausoleum.(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

It is supposed to be a private place.

But people from all walks of life were given the chance to enter the Cathedral mausoleum in Cebu City to allow them to view and pray before the tomb of Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

“There have been several requests for us to open the mausoleum to the public. And so we are giving in to those demands. Anyway, the cardinal just died so we will give the people the chance to visit his tomb,” said Msgr. Ruben Labajo, moderator of the team of pastors of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, in an interview.

The resting place of former Cebu archbishops and prelates was opened at past 4 p.m. on Monday to accommodate visitors. It was closed three hours after.

Labajo said the mausoleum will again be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, October 31, until Nov. 5.

On Nov. 6, Monday, it will again be closed to the public to allow workers to complete the finishing touches inside the mausoleum.

“The upper cover of the grave is currently made of wood and clad with tiles. We’re planning to replace it with marble,” Labajo said.

He said they have yet to decide whether or not to open the mausoleum to the public for good.

“Let’s see in the coming days if there will still be a need to open it to the public,” Labajo said.

“The Cathedral mausoleum is supposed to be private. Only the families and relatives of the cardinals and bishops buried there are allowed inside. But we’re opening it to everyone for now so they can visit Cardinal Vidal,” he added.

Labajo appealed to visitors not to light candles inside the mausoleum to avoid soot stains on the ceiling.

Flowers, he said, are also not needed.

“We already have a lot of flowers inside so there’s no need for the people to bring one,” the monsignor explained.

In visiting the mausoleum, Labajo advised the people to maintain the solemnity of the place.

“Just pray inside and follow the system that we put up. Fall in line (and wait for your turn to come near Cardinal Vidal’s tomb),” he said.

Emil Dawal, 25, and a resident of Talisay City, was among the first batch of visitors who went to Vidal’s tomb shortly after the mausoleum was opened to the public yesterday.

Although he did not have the time to go to the wake and burial of Vidal last week, Dawal was happy to visit the cardinal’s tomb without having to wade through the crowd.

“Naglikay pud ko sa daghang tawo last week. (I was avoiding the large crowds last week),” he told Cebu Daily News.

Vidal, 86, was laid to rest at the Cathedral mausoleum last October 26, on the right side of his predecessor, the late archbishop of Cebu, Julio Cardinal Rosales.

Also buried in the mausoleum were Bishops Manuel Salvador, Sincero Lucero, Juan Gorordo; and Archbishops Mariano Gaviola, Lino Gonzaga and Manuel Salvador.