“He was St. Thomas More reborn.”
This was how Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra paid tribute to Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, a Jesuit lawyer who passed away early Saturday morning, March 6, at age 88.
One of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, Father Bernas was a noted constitutionalist and who served as dean emeritus of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Law School and university president from 1984 to 1993.
His death was confirmed in a memorandum released by Ateneo Law School Dean Jose Maria Hofileña.
St. Thomas More, as venerated by the Catholic Church, “was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and a noted humanist.”
In a text message to journalists, Guevarra said “Fr. Bernas was the epitome of the classic Jesuit scholastic.”
“His masterful work on constitutional law is a must read for all Ateneo law students,” he stressed.
“To this day, Fr. Bernas continues to mentor me through his masterpiece,” he mused.
Guevarra also said: “Yet, like many Jesuits, he was a man of the world. He did not live in an ivory tower. He was accessible and accommodating to everyone, could engage in a lively discussion on any topic…, and with a great sense of humor.”
As a lawyer, “he was St. Thomas More reborn,” Guevarra declared.
He said he was not among Fr. Bernas’ students in Ateneo Law School “because he taught during the day and I attended evening classes because I was working.”
“Later, I joined him in the faculty,” he added.