Vidal turns 76 on February 6

The Archdiocese of Cebu will be very busy this week in preparation for the 76th birth anniversary of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on February 6.

Prior to his birthday, a Holy Mass will be held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 6 p.m. On the very day, he will be serenaded with the mañanita, afterwhich a dawn Mass will be celebrated as well as a noon Mass at the Blessed Pedro Calungsod Shrine.

Last year, Vidal submitted his courtesy resignation on his birthday, but Pope Benedict XVI would still want him to stay as Archbishop of Cebu.

For this year, the Cardinal said that he is still looking forward to the approval of his resignation which he had reiterated during a Thanksgiving Mass at the Cebu International Convention Center right after the hosting of the 12th ASEAN Summit.

"There will be candidates that will be presented by the bishops of the Philippines and then it is up to them to choose," he said. In Cebu alone, he added, there are a lot of candidates, but that he does not want to mention names.

"I leave it to the CBCP. I am not worried of my successor because God will provide. My successor would be much better than I am. That is why I am always asking the people to pray for my successor," he said.

He hopes that his successor will continue what he has started, the pastoral trust and how to administer all the resources of the archdiocese.

Last year, Vidal celebrated his Jubilee birth anniversary with a fun run held at the IT Asia Park in Lahug to raise funds for the health care of elderly priests. A three-story building for ailing priests has been proposed. - Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV