Appointment and cardinalate Sin was appointed archbishop of Manila on January 21, 1974, becoming the third Filipino and second
Visayan to hold the position. Sin was formally installed on March 19, 1974. One of his first acts as archbishop was to restructure the archdiocese's charity arm that same year. He rebranded the Catholic Charities, originally established by his predecessor Cardinal
Rufino Santos, as Caritas Manila. Alongside his duties as archbishop, Sin held prominent leadership roles within the national Church. He served as the vice president of the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) starting in January 1974, and was subsequently elected as its president in 1977, earning re-election in 1979. He later chaired the CBCP's commissions on Mass Media and the
Pontificio Collegio Filippino in 1982. On May 24, 1976,
Pope Paul VI elevated Sin to the
College of Cardinals, appointing him
cardinal priest of the
titular church of
Santa Maria ai Monti. Following his elevation to the cardinalate, Sin became deeply involved in the
Roman Curia. He was made a permanent member of the
Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 1977. Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, the Vatican appointed him to numerous administrative bodies. His memberships included the Sacred Congregations for
the Evangelization of Peoples,
Catholic Education,
Bishops,
the Clergy, and
Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Additionally, he served on the
Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, the
Secretariat for Non-Christians, the
Pontifical Commission for Social Communications, and the Council for Public Affairs of the Church. and Sin at
Baclaran Church in 1981 In 1981, the cardinal hosted Pope John Paul II during the pontiff's first pastoral visit to the Philippines.
Martial law and EDSA Revolution Early critical collaboration During his installation address as Manila's archbishop in March 1974, Sin highlighted the socioeconomic disparities exacerbated by martial law. He renewed the call for a "revolution of love" that he had first made during his episcopacy in Jaro. Addressing the
separation of church and state, Sin argued that separation did not equate to isolation. Sin was considered part of the moderate faction among Philippine bishops. While a traditionalist minority preferred to keep the Church out of secular matters, and a radical minority actively supported marginalized groups through more vocal opposition, Sin and the moderate majority adopted a framework of "critical collaboration" with the Marcos administration. delivering a homily that stated the loss of freedom had "reduced the Filipino to being an exile in his own country." Later that afternoon, Enrile called Sin, expressing fear for his life and asking for help. This broadcast, along with
Butz Aquino's earlier radio appeal, mobilized thousands of civilians. Led by priests and nuns, the crowds gathered along
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and effectively launched the
People Power Revolution. On February 23, Sin reportedly received intelligence that Marcos had ordered his arrest and detainment on
Caballo Island. Despite the threat, he declined Villegas's suggestion to relocate to a safehouse. Sin temporarily distanced himself from domestic politics and traveled abroad, including a tour of the
Soviet Union and a visit to
China, his father's birthplace. The institute was named in honor of Saint
Lorenzo Ruiz, a Chinese Filipino who is recognized as the Philippines'
protomartyr. Later that year, Sin publicly criticized Ramos, referring to him as a "Marcos clone." The cardinal actively opposed several government initiatives, including population control measures involving condoms Months prior to that, impoverished supporters of Estrada's anti-poverty campaign had stormed
presidential palace Neither the Vatican nor the Archdiocese of Manila ever officially confirmed these reports. == Retirement and final years ==