Cory Magic is still alive in the country. Even in death President Corazon Aquino continues to unite the Filipino people.

Thousands of mourners turned up at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros for the funeral mass of the country’s former leader.

Filipinos from all walks of life, both young and old, trooped to the cathedral to bid farewell to the wellloved leader. Some braved the rains outside the church during the mass to pay tribute to the widow of Ninoy Aquino for one last time.

In his homily, a priest close to the Aquino family, explained why Cory magic continues to weave its spell years after Edsa People Power 1.

“One is because of her selflessness and on how she loved the country above all else, even above the
family. Number two is in her faith and dedication to the Lord. And number three is because of her courage for her abiding loyalty to the country that never wavered and never broken,” Fr. Catalino Arevalo said.

Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas, for his part, understood very well the outpouring of love from the people for Cory, saying the people have many things to thank the former president
for, the least of which is helping restore the country’s democracy.

“Thank you for being our light during our darkest hours. Thank you for being our strength when we were afraid. You gallantly showed us that to be a Filipino is a great blessing from God. Thank you for showing us our greatness. You were born to wealth and plenty but you lived in simplicity and humbly carried our painful misery,” he said.

Villegas said it would be hard to say goodbye to someone like Cory but the country must move on.

“We who are still here on earth are not ready to say goodbye. We will never meet a woman as great as you for a very long time. We will miss you. We accept it. You are not ours. You are God’s. It is the truth but it hurts us deeply,” he said.

“We promise to love this country as you loved us. There is darkness in our land because you are gone. But we know we have enough light within us because you have shared with us your fire,” said Villegas.

Cory led a prayerful life and was very special not only to the Filipino people but also to the Catholic Church. This was made evident by the number of bishops and priests who attended her funeral.

She is the first lay person, and probably the last, whose wake was held at the Manila Cathedral.

Before Cory, only archbishops of Manila had their wakes at the Cathedral.

Fr. Genaro Diwa of the Ministry of Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila said they broke this tradition because they consider the former president as a “special case.”

Among the Catholic prelates present Wednesday were Papal Nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, Kalookan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias and Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto.

On the side of the government were Vice President Noli de Castro, former Philippine presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, senators, congressmen, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, and former Cabinet officials of the Aquino administration.