Duterte to declare Oct 26, Cardinal Vidal’s burial day, as holiday in Cebu

Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.

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Duterte to declare Oct 26, Cardinal Vidal’s burial day, as holiday in Cebu
President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Cebu City close to midnight on Sunday, October 22, to pay his last respects to Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal

CEBU CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Cebu near midnight on Sunday, October 22, to visit the wake of Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Duterte went to Cebu unannounced straight from Bacolod City, where he graced the celebration of the MassKara Festival. He spent about 20 minutes at the wake, joining Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and hundreds of Cebuanos paying their last respects to Vidal.

During his visit, Duterte announced that as soon as he gets to Manila, he would sign an executive order that would declare October 26, the burial day of Cardinal Vidal, as a holiday in Cebu.

He was acting on the request of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino.

“Indeed a pivotal shepherd for 29 years in our Archdiocese, the declaration of a holiday on the occasion of his interment will enable our people to pay their last respects to the beloved Cardinal,” Dino said in a statement.

At the wake, Duterte sat beside Archbishop Palma and Vidal’s younger brother, Juanito. 

Palma thanked Duterte for visiting the wake of Vidal despite his tight schedule. Duterte apologized that he was not immediately able to fly to Cebu after Vidal died because of his schedule, but said he felt the need to condole with the Cebuanos. 

Duterte left the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral past 12:30 am Monday, October 23.

Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu for 29 years, died on October 18 due to septic shock, one week after he was rushed to the hospital for fever and shortness of breath.

A native of Mogpog, Marinduque, Vidal was appointed by Pope John Paul II Coadjutor Archbishop of Cebu in 1981. He became Archbishop on August 24, 1982, succeeding Cardinal Julio Rosales. (FAST FACTS: Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal)

Vidal will be buried beside the tomb of Cardinal Rosales inside the mausoleum ordered built by Rosales in 1983.

The cathedral mausoleum serves as the final resting place of prominent bishops of Cebu, like Cardinal Rosales, Bishop Emeritus of Calbayog Sincero Lucero, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu Manuel Salvador, Archbishop Emeritus of Lipa Mariano Gaviola, and the first Bishop of Cebu Juan Gorordo. – Rappler. com 

 

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