Cardinal Jaime Sin, the influential former leader of the Philippines' large Roman Catholic community, is finally passed away.
He had a history of illness, having suffered from a reported heart attack last year, and was aged 76. He retired in 2003 after nearly 30 years heading the Manila Archdiocese.
Cardinal Sin was taken to Manila's Cardinal Santos Medical Centre with a high fever on Sunday evening and suffered multiple organ failure, said his spokesman, Father Jun Sescon. He died there at 0615 on Tuesday (2215 GMT Monday). Speaking on Philippine radio station DZBB, Fr Sescon called on people in Asia's largest Catholic country to "include in their prayers the soul of Cardinal Sin".
His successor as archbishop, Gaudencio Rosales, presided over a wake at Manila cathedral and led a packed congregation in prayer. Church officials are consulting with the late cardinal's family about funeral arrangements.
Cardinal Sin espoused a conservative vision of Catholicism, and after the election of the new pope in April he described Benedict XVI as a "bright and good man, and a good friend".
Cardinal Sin played a key role in the Philippines' transition to democracy following the lengthy dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. He played a key role in the toppling of both Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001.
He met Marcos once a month, regularly attended social events with Marcos and his wife, Imelda, and, when requested, would say Mass at the presidential palace.
To criticism of such contacts, Cardinal Sin would say:
"If I don't attend to their spiritual needs, who will?"
Known for his sense of humor, although his name prompted many jokes – a cardinal sin is one of the seven deadly sins – Sin himself made light of it. He often referred to his residence as "the house of Sin."
And his wry sense of humour was often in evidence. He once related that when President Marcos expressed his admiration of the United States' ability to produce a speedy election result, he told Marcos that:
"He should admire the Filipino people - they knew the election results before the election."
But in the 1980s, he became increasingly critical of the regime and in 1986, played an influential role in a "people power" uprising that led to the removal of Marcos.
Known for his ready wit, he once said of the corruption which persisted after Ferdinand Marcos was ousted:
"We got rid of Ali Baba but the 40 thieves remained."
The cardinal never made any secret about his view that religion had a role in affairs of state.
"My duty is to put Christ in politics," he said at his retirement ceremony. "Politics without Christ is the greatest scourge of our nation."
He was once called "the divine commander-in-chief" by former President Fidel Ramos for his ability to marshal huge protests. Current President Gloria Arroyo described him as "a blessed man who never failed to unite Filipinos during the most crucial battles against tyranny and evil".
"Cardinal Sin leaves a legacy of freedom and justice forged in deep personal courage," President Gloria Arroyo said in a statement.
May God Bless him! Amen.
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