August 26, 1908, Rufino Santos was born in Barrio Santo Niño, Guagua, Pampanga
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On August 26, 1908, Rufino Santos, the first Filipino Cardinal was born in Barrio Santo Niño, Guagua, Pampanga to Rosalia Jiao and Gaudencio Santos. He was baptized eight days later at the town’s parish church, one of the oldest churches in Pampanga, with Emilio Lagman, a close family friend, as sponsor.
His parents were poor. His father worked as an overseer of some farmlands near Mount Arayat. When he was only about seven years old, his mother died. As a consequence, his father sold their house in Santo Niño. With his six brothers and sisters namely Manuel, Emiliano, Quirino, Clara, Jovita, and Exequiela, they transferred to Manila. His father rented a place in Intramuros and then invested part of his money in the transportation business, which proved to be profitable as time went by.
He was eight years old when he was enrolled in the free grade school of the Manila Cathedral in July 1917. This parochial school was managed by the Belgian Missionary Canonesses of St. Augustine. The directress, Sr. Marie Francoise and the parish priest, Fr. Jose Tahon, both Belgians, considered him as one of the most promising students in class.
Rufino Santos was brought up under strict parental discipline and religious training at home and in school. Not surprisingly, he finished fourth grade at the Belgian School with honors. At the age of twelve, when he completed the primary course, he already had a vision of his future. When father Tahon casually asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he answered: "I want to be a priest".
Propelled by this ambition, he entered the San Carlos Seminary on June 15, 1921. His aunt, Florentina Santos, offered to shoulder half of his expenses at the seminary. Father Tahon granted him a partial – scholarship to take care of the other half.
In 1927, after six years’ stay at the San Carlos Seminary, Santos was sent to Rome to continue his studies there as a scholar. It was at the Pontifical Gregorian University that he obtained his doctorate in sacred theology. Although the Church considered him underage at 23, he was nevertheless ordained as a priest after getting special dispensation from the pope. His ordination took place at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome on October 25, 1931. The young man from Pampanga and Intramuros, Manila finally attained his goal in life.
In February 1932, Father Santos returned to the Philippines. He was assigned as assistant priest of Imus, Cavite and, subsequently, as parish priest of Marilao, Bulacan. Later, he was appointed to the See of Manila, where he occupied the posts of vice-chancellor, superintendent of instruction, and financial secretary-treasurer. He served as private secretary to Msgr. Michael O’Doherty, the Archbishop of Manila, after the Pacific War broke out.
Suspected of promoting sentiments against the Japanese forces among the people, Santos was arrested on February 4, 1944 and imprisoned at the Muntinlupa and the Old Bilibid penitentiaries. He was rescued by Filipino – American guerillas on February 5, 1945, exactly after one-year of suffering indignities at the hands of the enemy.
Two years after the Second World War, he was chosen the titular bishop of Barca and, thereafter, as Manila’s assistant bishop. He became Lipa’s apostolic administrator of Manila. Among the projects he undertook as archbishop was the organization of Catholic Charities, which provided free medical services to the poor. Seven years later, Archbishop Santos received his biglietto, or formal notification of his elevation to the royal rank of "Prince of the Church". The first Filipino cardinal is credited with the establishment of the Pope Pius XII Center in Manila and the Colegio Seminario Filipino in Rome.
Santos played an important role in the spiritual life of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, hero of the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the first President of the Philippine Republic. Shortly before Aguinaldo died, the Cardinal often visited him at the Veteran’s Memorial Hospital where the sick general had been confined. Aguinaldo had experienced a spiritual crisis when he was made to promise at the deathbed of his wife, Maria, to go back to the Christian fold. So, before his own death, he made a confession to Cardinal Santos "for the first time in more than half a century".
Cardinal Santos received several awards as acknowledgement of his outstanding works. From the Vatican, he obtained the Palium; from Generalissimo Francisco Franco, the Orden de Isabel La Catolica, and from President Carlos P. Garcia, the Order of the Golden Heart. He was the recipient of several honorary doctor of philosophy degrees in the humanities and laws.
Cardinal Santos passed away in September 1973. His remains were entombed at the Manila Cathedral.
Source:
- Acosta, Carmencita. The Life of Rufino Cardinal Santos. Quezon City: Kayumanggi Press, 1973
- Gwekoh, Sol. “Hall of Fame.” The Manila Times. 1966 (via the NHC).