The Cardinal behind the headlines

As a reporter I covered the last decade or so of the late Ricardo Cardinal Vidal's tenure as Archbishop of Cebu and the few years into his retirement.

In Cebu, my last stint was as church beat reporter of Sun.Star Cebu before I left and pursued job opportunities in Cagayan de Oro and then Manila.

Cardinal Vidal's last few years in office were plagued with wide-ranging issues that a journalist would have close encounters with the popular spiritual leader in his twilight years.

Through this piece, however, let me introduce you to the Cardinal behind the news stories.

The spirit of Cardinal Vidal was youthful, vibrant, and playful even as his words also effected political and societal stirrings.

Behind his office desk, he was the high-ranking church official with many concerns in his mind. But he was generous with his time and would spare a few minutes for an interview.

After one such visit, the Cardinal and I shared juice, bibingka, and budbod as he related anecdotes, including one about a former president and his experience of riding a helicopter.

His Eminence was also everyone's grandfather. Just the way he was when students interviewed him.

After the interview, the Cardinal walked us to the door and we were met by two dogs, one barking incessantly. One of the students, it turned out, was afraid of dogs.

Imagine this scene: a smiling Cardinal carrying a little dog while waving goodbye to his young guests.

After the 2014 national elections, some legislators declared that there was cheating in Cebu.

Cardinal Vidal was the co-founder of C-Cimpel, the church-backed election watchdog.

He was about to enter the church to say mass when I arrived. I told him about the situation. At the mass, he veered away from his prepared homily and discussed the elections with very strong words.

When pushed to talk about an unforgettable Christmas gift, he related that a parishioner asked if he liked her gift. Not remembering what the gift was, he answered, “Thank you ha, masarap!”

Later on he learned that she gave him a piece of cloth that he could use to make a new pair of pants. He just laughed.

His health became a cause for concern later on as he would attend events even if he was in pain because of osteoarthritis.

I wonder if people remember that Cardinal Vidal was born in Marinduque and that he worked mostly in Luzon provinces before Saint John Paul II sent him to Cebu.

He was happy in Cebu; he loved Cebuanos. A few times, he expressed his gratitude as he reflected on the warm welcome he received from Cebuanos. In jest, he would say in his homily, “Maybe because I am the same height as the Sto. Niño.”

Journalists were included in his prayers. “Mahirap ang trabaho niyo. Mag-iingat kayo ha,” he once told reporters.

The work of men and women in media is like carefully woven quilt depicting his dedication to his work for the Catholic Church, for the people. — BM, GMA News