Thursday, 1st May 2008 - 09:54CET
Sir Anthony Mamo: State funeral tomorrow
The state funeral of former President Sir Anthony Mamo will be held tomorrow, the government has announced.
The body of Sir Anthony will lie in state at the Palace in Valletta between 10 a.m. and 12.45 p.m. and Mass praesente cadavere led by Archbishop Paul Cremona will be said at 2 p.m. at St John’s Co-Cathedral.
A funeral cortege will then be held along Republic Street to City Gate, after which the funeral will continue privately.
Flags will be flown at half mast today and tomorrow.Public transport tomorrow will operate from St Anne Street, Floriana, between 2-4.30 p.m.
Sir Anthony, the first President of Malta, died aged 99, early this morning.
He was born in Birkirkara and educated at the Archbishop’s seminary and the University of Malta where he graduated BA in 1931 and LLD in 1934. He was in private practice for a year before joining the civil service. He served as Crown Counsel from 1942 and became attorney general. He was appointed Chief Justice in 1957 and Governor-General in 1971 before becoming President in 1974.
Sir Anthony was a professor of criminal law at the University.
He was awarded the OBE in 1955 and knighted two years later. He was made Sieheb il-Gieh within the National Order of Merit in 1993.
The Department of Information said the Prime Minister had phoned Sir Anthony's family to convey his condolences. Sir Anthony is to be given a
state funeral.
MLP acting leader Charles Mangion in a statement expressed the party's condolences, praising Sir Anthony for his intellect, integrity and professionalism.
PN general secretary Joe Saliba also expressed his condolences, saying Sir Anthony had given his all as Malta went through the process of becoming independent and then a republic. His passing away was a major loss for the country.
Picture: Sir Anthony with President Eddie Fenech Adami and (from left) former Presidents Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Censu Tabone and Guido de Marco.
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Comments
Condolences to the remaining members of his family
Sir Anthony Mamo was a beacon of light shining through these uncertain days where politicians have become so greedy.
A President who serves FIRST OF ALL THE PEOPLE has to be be elected by the people. not by the Members of Parliament.
I think that it must be the time to declare the death of Malta's first Republic as it has been concoted to give a lot of advantage not to the citizens but to the elected few.
When are we going to learn, open our eyes and understand that we the people have the power not the smug politicians who take us for a five year ride.
Change the constitution so that we would have a better new republic solely aimed for the people.
Sir Anthony Mamo gave MALTA good and sterling service just like Dr.Anton Buttigieg and Ms Agatha Barbara and not forgetting Paul Xuereb.
Pray for this country of our please from your deserved place in heaven.
May God Grant Him Eternal Rest.
It is about time that we really have a President endorsed by all the people of Malta and Gozo, and not to just half of them.
So please PN and MLP it is your duty to remedy this situation throughout this new legislatures. No more french promotions please. It is about time that the people of Malta and Gozo elect our President who will have more power and authority to see that there is true accountability in the way national authorities and all are run. My dear varist i do not agree with your idea that the president should be the person enjoying supporter from two-thirds of the House of Representatives. The President belongs to the people and it should be our right to choose him.
We are fed up with the recurring farce of having former ministers and all being promoted as president of Malta...a nice way to tell them, move to the side, you are now only fit for symbolic ceremonies.
Malta and Gozo deserve a much stronger President. Hope that the sad loss of Sir Anthony Mamo will finally show us the way forward..... Sir Anthony thanks for truly being a gentleman and serving the best interest of our islands in the best way possible.
A distinguished jurist, plus a collaborator to four Maltese prime ministers being 2 from each of the current major parties, Sir Paul Boffa, Enrico Mizzi, Giorgio Borg Olivier and Dom Mintoff. May his dedication be an example for future generations, rather than some MTV pop idol teaching the youth all that they shouldn't learn.
We pray that the Almighty will welcome you as one of Malta's finest ambassadors
A great man for a great country
Whilst honouring Sir Anthony let us not forget that it was a Labour Government headed by Dom Mintoff that elected him to that office. May the next President be a person who represents all of the people not just some.