CEBU CITY -- Cebuanos are in mourning after their beloved Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal died at the Perpetual Succour Hospital here at 7:28 a.m. Wednesday. He was 86.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña expressed sadness over the passing of his friend, especially because they had not seen each other for quite some time.
“On behalf of all the people of Cebu, we are mourning the loss of a great leader who has guided us through the years. I’m really saddened by his death,” Osmeña said. “The last time I saw him was last year pa, before he got sick.”
The mayor said that while Vidal was from Marinduque, he was an adopted son of Cebu and a Cebuano at heart.
“Although he’s not from here, he has chosen to be a Cebuano till the very end,” said Osmeña. “My entire career as a public servant, he has always been there.”
Former mayor Michael Rama also lamented the death of Vidal, whom he said was like a dear old brother to him.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, meanwhile, exhorted his men to pray for Cardinal Vidal’s eternal repose.
Dela Rosa said although the Catholic Church had spoken up against the PNP’s campaign against illegal drugs, Cardinal Vidal was never vocal and remained silent on the issue.
“We are sorry for the loss of the most respected prelate in the country,” said dela Rosa, adding that Cardinal Vidal was the only church official who understood “our ground situation” in the campaign against illegal drugs.
The PNP chief was in Cebu on Wednesday to give the “Medalya of Sugatang Magiting” to Police Officer 3 David Naraja Jr. of the Regional Special Operations Group, who was wounded in the operation against the killer of a government employee’s son last Monday.
Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, one of Vidal’s attending physicians and personal friend, confirmed his death after almost an hour of resuscitation efforts by doctors.
“His blood pressure abruptly dropped and doctors tried to resuscitate and revive him. After an hour, I was told that he expired,” Bullecer told the media.
As of Tuesday, Vidal’s condition was stable after dialysis although he was unconscious at the intensive care unit of the hospital.
However, Bullecer said the prelate’s heart posed a big problem as it was very weak. Even if the Cardinal had regained consciousness, he would still have suffered from life-threatening hypotension, or extreme drop in blood pressure, because of his weak heart.
The country’s most senior Cardinal was brought to the hospital last Oct. 11 due to fever and shortness of breath but later lost consciousness and remained in coma since then.
The prelate’s wake will be held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, which is considered as the mother parish of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
Vidal had a mild stroke on Sept. 23, 2013 and had been in and out of the hospital due to pneumonia since 2014.
He was Cebu’s archbishop for 29 years prior to his retirement in 2011. He was succeeded by now Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.
Vidal, who spent his retirement years in Cebu, was born in Mogpog, Marinduque on Feb. 6, 1931. (PNA)
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