[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JAIME CARDINAL SIN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2005

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jaime 
Cardinal Sin, a leader of the Roman Catholic Church of the Philippines. 
Cardinal Sin was a great man, a strong leader, and a tireless fighter 
of injustice in his home country of the Philippines and throughout the 
world for decades. His passing is indeed a significant loss.
  Born on August 31, 1928, Sin was ordained a priest in the 
Archdioceses of Jaro on April 3, 1954. He was appointed Coadjutor 
Archbishop of Jaro on March 15, 1972, and on October 8, 1972, he 
assumed the office of Archbishop of Jaro, thus assuming full control of 
the archdiocese. On January 21, 1974, Sin was appointed Archbishop of 
Manila, and on May 25, 1976, Sin became the youngest member of the 
College of Cardinals, a distinction which he held until 1983.
  As the spiritual leader of the largest concentration of Catholics In 
Asia, Cardinal Sin held a great deal of influence over a substantial 
number of people. Rather than be content to simply influence the 
spiritual lives of his people, Cardinal Sin worked to affect change in 
the political and social arenas. Cardinal Sin was the central figure 
around whom the Philippine people rallied during both the People Power 
movement which restored democracy to the Philippines and the recent 
reformist movement. He was an outspoken critic, and his support of 
democratic reform helped to facilitate peaceful transition.
  Despite his retirement on September 15, 2003, Cardinal Sin remained a 
popular and beloved figure in the Philippines. He was a leading voice 
against abortion and the death penalty. He was outspoken against 
inequality and immorality, and his three decades of service to the 
Philippine people have left an indelible mark in history.
  Because of its geographic proximity and its large Filipino 
population, my district of Guam has traditionally held a very close 
relationship with the Philippines. I join the millions of Filipinos on 
Guam, in the Philippines, and throughout the world in mourning the 
passing of this great man.

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