Primus Inter Pares

Many cardinals have come. Many have gone.

Some became more popular than others. Some simply faded into obscurity.

But my first cardinal will be the one I will not easily forget.

Primus inter pares... the first...among equals…is how I call him.

It was late October, the year was 2000.  I just quit my first job as a segment producer-reporter for a government station. I was restless, waiting for calls from prospective employers, both here and abroad.

The truth of the matter was, I was idle, I wasn't doing anything.

And I was really bored.

Having exhausted all interesting movies and shows on cable television for the night, I retired past midnight, even if I wasn't really sleepy.

I was already in bed for a good hour, but my mind did not, as of yet, want to slow down. I was thinking of things to do in the days to come, things to while away the time.

It was about 2:00AM when a brilliant idea crossed my mind: why not write to the Filipino cardinals?!

Yes, the three Princes of the Church, the leaders of the Church in the Philippines who had a direct line to the Holy Father!  Perhaps one day, one of them will become pope; at least I've already had the opportunity to interact with them, even through correspondence, before they become "unreachable."

But what would I say to them?

Fortunately, I did not have to think hard. Within minutes, sentences started flooding my mind. Not wanting to waste any more time, I got out of bed, turned on the PC and started typing away. (That letter would eventually become the template I would send out to all the cardinals I would later write.)   

In that letter was an explanation of who I was, my interest in the papacy and the cardinals, and a request for a blessing, an autographed picture or a holy card to remember the cardinal by, 'since it would be next to impossible to have an audience with Your Eminence.'

It was 3:00AM when I finally finished.

In the morning, I printed three letters with corresponding envelopes written out to the following: (1) His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila, (2) His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu and (3) His Eminence Jose Cardinal Sanchez, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation of the Clergy in Rome. I immediately sent the letters out.

About three weeks later, in November 2000, I was walking in our front yard when I noticed a long brown Manila envelope at the foot of our gate. It was presumably tucked on top of the gate but fell off because of the weight of its contents.

I picked it up to see who it was for, and I was surprised that the parcel was addressed to me.

"To JOSE MARIA M. VILLARAMA II

From THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MANILA"  

My heart raced!

I struggled to open the package...a rather big one from Jaime Cardinal Sin himself!  

Scenes of Sin by Noli Yamsuan

As I unwrapped the envelope, a coffee table book entitled The Scenes of Sin by the cardinal's official photographer, Mr. Noli Yamsuan, instantly revealed itself.  

On the first page, just after the front cover,  was a dedication "Joe Marie, Best Wishes! (sgd) +Jaime Cardinal Sin".  

Dedication and Autograph by Jaime Cardinal Sin

A letter envelope also accompanied the parcel. In it was a typewritten letter from the cardinal, thanking me for my warm greetings and for my interest in the Church. Enclosed was another surprise: a photo of the smiling cardinal, dressed in full cardinalatial regalia and on which the same dedication "Joe Marie, Best Wishes! (sgd) +Jaime Cardinal Sin," was written!

I was overwhelmed! 

I was overjoyed!

I also felt humbled.

Just four years earlier, in 1996, when the Cardinal Sin came to our parish to bless our newly-constructed parish formation center, I froze as His Eminence, with all the formality and bearing of a true prince, passed inches away from me. I was supposed to have kissed his ring, but I was awestruck and dumbfounded.

Now, I was staring him again in the face (or at least a photograph of him).

But this time, I was no longer nervous. 

+Jaime Cardinal Sin

I was smiling...and he was smiling back at me.

To date, the memorabilia Cardinal Sin sent me has never been rivaled by any other cardinal I have so far written.

For this, I will forever be grateful to Cardinal Sin.

Thank you Your Eminence…

…my archbishop… my cardinal…

…my primus inter pares... my first among equals.