Funeral mass held for Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia

The Pope has paid tribute to the Archbishop of Glasgow, the Most Reverend Philip Tartaglia, as his funeral mass was held in the city.

Archbishop Tartaglia, who was 70, tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after Christmas but the cause of his death has not been confirmed.

Virus restrictions meant only 20 relatives and friends could attend the requiem mass at St Andrew's Cathedral.

Earlier, Pope Francis described him as a "much-loved pastor".

A message received from Cardinal Parolin, his secretary of state, said: "His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, and he offers heartfelt condolence and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Glasgow."

'Great human warmth'

The funeral mass was led by Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen, who told the small congregation how the bishop who broke the news to him last week was in tears.

In his homily he affectionately referred to Archbishop Tartaglia as "Big Phil" but said he was "not a self-advertising man".

Bishop Gilbert added: "Looking at it from our side, we are commending to God today someone who wasn't small in any sense, someone of gravitas, and someone in whom head and heart came together, possessed of intellectual force and clarity and at the same time of great human warmth."

Covid restrictions meant only 20 relatives and friends were allowed to attend the funeral mass

He said the archbishop cherished pastoral assignments and had a gift for friendship and insight into people.

Bishop Gilbert added: "As a pastor, especially here in Glasgow and for a while in Edinburgh too, he had plenty of valleys of darkness to walk through, with others, with unsettled priests, survivors of abuse, victims of accidents, and he did so in such a genuine, heartfelt way."

The bishop recalled Archbishop Tartaglia's comforting role in the aftermath of the Glasgow bin lorry tragedy and the Clutha helicopter crash, and also highlighted his concerns for asylum seekers.

The former Bishop of Paisley was ordained a priest in 1975 and had served as leader of Scotland's largest Catholic community since 2012.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Celtic Football Club were among those who paid tribute to him when his death was announced last week.

Archbishop Tartaglia was born in Glasgow on 11 January 1951 - the eldest son of Guido and Annita Tartaglia.

After attending St Thomas' Primary in Riddrie, he began his secondary education at St Mungo's Academy before moving to the national junior seminary at St Vincent's College, Langbank.

He later attended St Mary's College, at Blairs, Aberdeen, before completing his ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical Scots College, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

On returning to Scotland, he was an assistant and then parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald, St Patrick's, Dumbarton, and St Mary's, Duntocher.

Archbishop Tartaglia's mitre was placed on top of his coffin

Archbishop Tartaglia was ordained by then Archbishop Thomas Winning in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Dennistoun, on 30 June 1975.

He was a leading opponent of proposals to legalise same-sex marriage in Scotland and also criticised ministers over anti-bigotry legislation.

The Archdiocese of Glasgow is the largest of Scotland's eight dioceses with an estimated Catholic population of about 200,000. It comprises 95 parishes and is served by about 200 priests.

Archbishop Tartaglia was the eighth person to hold the office since the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in Scotland in 1878.

He followed Archbishop Mario Conti and Archbishop Thomas Winning, who later became Cardinal Winning.