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Saturday, October 28, 2017
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to Cardinal Vidal
CEBU City – More than 25,000 people attended the funeral of 86-year-old Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal in this city on Thursday.
Cebuanos and visitors from as far as Butuan City and Calbayog, Samar began queuing up outside the gates of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral as early as 5:30 a.m. to attend the funeral mass, which started at exactly 9 a.m.
Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Nagiel Bañacia said there were already about 5,000 people when the Cathedral opened at 7 a.m. and it ballooned to about 20,000 at the start of the Requiem Mass officiated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.
As the funeral procession began, more people filled the streets along the funeral route, waiting for the carriage carrying the coffin of the late prelate and waving goodbye as it passed them by.
Many Cebuanos called Vidal the “peacemaker” and Prince of the Cebu Roman Catholic Church.
The cardinal was laid to rest at the Cebu Cathedral Mausoleum at 11:41 a.m.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, and Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo headed more than 40 bishops who attended the funeral.
Also in attendance were Cebu leaders, including former chief justice Hilario Davide III, Cebu representatives Gwendolyn Garcia and Raul del Mar, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, Talisay City mayor Eduardo Gullas, former congressman Antonio Cuenco, Cebu City vice mayor Edgardo Labella, and Cebu City councilor Margarita Osmeña.
Former Manila Metropolitan Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino also attended the funeral, together with former senator Francisco Tatad and former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama. (PNA/PN)
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