Malta is set to pay its final respects to Archbishop Emeritus Pawlu Cremona with a series of solemn ceremonies and processions from today 20th to Saturday 22nd March. The funeral events will allow the public, clergy, and national leaders to honour his legacy of faith and service.
The farewell begins today, Thursday, 20th March, as church bells across Malta ring at noon in tribute.
Later in the afternoon, a funeral cortege will depart from Mater Dei Hospital at 3:45 pm, making its way to St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. Along the route, it will stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St. Dominic, where the Dominican Family will offer their respects. The procession will then continue through the streets of Valletta before arriving at the Co-Cathedral at 4:45 pm.
A Vespers service for the deceased will be led by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna at 5:00 pm, followed by an opportunity for the public to pay their final respects.
The Archbishop’s body will lie in state inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, where visitors can also sign a book of condolences. As night falls, church bells will toll again at 7:30 pm, and a Rosary prayer will be led by the Dominican Family before the cathedral closes at 8:30 pm.
Tomorrow, Friday, 21st March, the day will begin with Morning Praise at 8:00 am, followed by Mass at 8:30 am. The public viewing will continue throughout the day, from 9:00 am to 8:30 pm, giving mourners another chance to offer their respects. At noon and again at sunset, church bells will ring once more in remembrance, and later in the evening, Archbishop Scicluna will lead a Rosary prayer at 7:30 pm.
The final farewell will take place on Saturday, 22nd March, with dignitaries, including the Prime Minister and the President of Malta, attending the funeral at St. John’s Co-Cathedral.
At 9:30 am, Archbishop Scicluna will lead the Funeral Mass in the presence of national and religious leaders.
Following the Mass, a funeral procession will proceed through Republic Street to Valletta’s city gate, after which the late Archbishop’s body will be transported to Our Lady of the Grotto and St. Dominic Church in Rabat for a private burial ceremony. At 12:00 pm, as the Archbishop is laid to rest, church bells across Malta will toll for the final time.
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