Karl Chircop's funeral to be held in Paola

The body of Karl Chircop arrived yesterday from the London hospital where the Labour MP died on Sunday.

His funeral, scheduled to be held on Saturday morning at the Christ the King parish church in Paola, is being organised by the Labour Party in accordance with his wife Adriana's wishes.

Dr Chircop's coffin leaves Mater Dei Hospital at 9 a.m. for the Labour headquarters in Ħamrun, where, at 9.15 a.m., Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat, the MLP parliamentary group, the party administration and the national executive will salute him by observing a minute's silence.

A funeral cortege leaves Corradino hill in Paola to Christ the King church in at 9.30 a.m. where Mass praesente cadavere will be said at 10 a.m. The main celebrant will be Mgr Victor Grech, assisted by the parish priests of Sta Luċija, Gudja, Għaxaq, Tarxien, Marsa and Paola, the localities from where Dr Chircop was elected.

He had been an MP since 1996. The corpse arrived in Malta three days after the machines that were keeping him alive, following a cerebral haemorrhage on August 3, were switched off, his organs were donated and the paperwork to bring him back was completed.

He had been undergoing treatment in the UK hospital since the end of August after almost four weeks in intensive care at Mater Dei Hospital. He was taken to London in an air ambulance following what appeared to be some progress in his condition, although he was still in a coma.

Tributes have been paid by the political parties, unions, various bodies and the man in the street since the news of his death was announced on Sunday afternoon.

President Eddie Fenech Adami wrote to Mrs Chircop yesterday saying that "Karl remains in my memory with his permanent smile", adding that Malta had lost a politician who was a true example of a gentleman.