Funeral service for Cardinal Sanchez

March 13, 2012: The late Cardinal Jose Sanchez, the first Filipino cardinal appointed by the pope to head a dicastery in the Vatican’s Roman Curia, was laid to rest at the crypt of Novaliches Cathedral on Monday. He died on March 6, at the age of 91.
Some 40 bishops attended the Holy Mass before the burial. Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said Sanchez was “a man truly in love with God and with His Church.”
Vidal credited Cardinal Sanchez for the Directory of the Ministry and Life of Priests, a handbook that guides the clergy in the conduct of their lives and mission.
Sanchez was made bishop in 1968 and later occupied various positions in the hierarchy until he was called to Rome by Pope John Paul II to become secretary of the Pontifical Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
In 1991, he was made cardinal and became Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Clergy. He retired from the post in 1996 at the age 73.
He was a priest for over 65 years, a bishop of over 43 years and a cardinal for more than 20 years.