Jaime Sin

Jaime Lachica Sin (August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005) was a Filipino Catholic prelate who served as the 30th archbishop of Manila from 1974 until his retirement in 2003. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1976.

Born in New Washington, Aklan, Sin began his ministry as a priest and later served as a bishop in the Archdiocese of Jaro. He rose to national prominence as the archbishop of Manila during the martial law era under President Ferdinand Marcos. Initially adopting a conciliatory stance toward the government, Sin became increasingly vocal in his criticism of the Marcos administration, particularly following a military raid on the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches. He later played a pivotal role in the 1986 People Power Revolution by broadcasting a radio appeal for civilians to gather along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to support military defectors against Marcos. In 2001, Sin issued a similar call to action, demanding the resignation of President Joseph Estrada during the Second EDSA Revolution.

Sin's continued political influence during the subsequent Aquino, Ramos, and Estrada administrations frequently drew scrutiny. Beyond his political involvement, Sin assisted Trappist monks in acquiring land for their monastery, established the Domus Mariae Foundation for social housing, and founded the Lorenzo Mission Institute and Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society to train seminarians and priests ministering to Chinese Filipinos. The cardinal also hosted Pope John Paul II during his 1981 and 1995 pastoral visits to the Philippines, the latter being for World Youth Day.

He retired as Manila's archbishop on September 15, 2003. Sin died on June 21, 2005, at the age of 76, and was accorded state honors.