The government organised funeral for renowned professor Oliver Friggieri will take place tomorrow, on the 25th of November, the government said in a statement.
The mass praesente cadavre will be held at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta at 2pm, and it will be concelebrated by Archbishop Charles Scicluna.
Friggieri, regarded was one of the greatest contributors to Maltese literary heritage and the Maltese language, passed away on Saturday at the age of 73.
The government had said that in recognition of the extraordinary contribution that he had given to the country throughout his career, the state will be organising his funeral.
The statement described Friggieri as a patriot and said that his literary works that were translated into many languages took Malta’s name around the world.
The government also declared that tomorrow will be marked as a day of mourning. Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar wrote to the Permanent Secretaries, Director Generals and the heads of public entities so that the flags on public buildings will be flown at half-mast.
The funeral cortege will leave Mater Dei Hospital at 12.45pm and head towards the University of Malta, where Professor Friggieri dedicated many years of his life to educating students as a lecturer in the Maltese Department, where he had also served as its head. At the University, he will be given a respectful farewell by the University of Malta.
The funeral cortege will then proceed to his private residence in Fleur-de-Lys, and continue on towards the St. Publius Parish Church in Floriana, the town he was born in. A respectful farewell will be given by the local council and the clergy of the parish.
The funeral cortege will then continue on to St John’s Co-Cathedral. At the end of the mass, the funeral will continue in private.
The government said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions tied to it, only those people who receive an official invitation will be allowed into the Co-Cathedral.
The mass will be aired live on TVM and on the MaltaGov Facebook page.