Archbishop Charles Scicluna will remember his father Emanuel, who passed away late on Thursday, for his bubbly character and great heart.

“The Times of Malta newspaper has called me a bubbly archbishop. I got that from my father: he was very much a bubbly character, a hard worker, an extraordinary leader, very determined but with a great heart.

“He also had the gift of enjoying life with a good laugh and a good party, while keeping the family together,” Mgr Scicluna told this newspaper from Rome.

Mr Scicluna passed away aged 85 at 11.45pm on Thursday in a Rome hospital. He is also survived by his wife, Maria Carmela, and their children Monica, Josette and Jesmond, their spouses and children, who were all in Rome accompanying Mgr Scicluna.

The Archbishop went to Rome to receive the pallium, an ecclesiastical vestment, from Pope Francis in a private ceremony on Monday. He will later be formally vested by Apostolic Nuncio Mgr Roberto Cassari in a ceremony in Malta.

“We came to Rome as a family for the pallium ceremony but he fell ill... What started off as a family pilgrimage happened to be the greatest pilgrimage for him because he did what we call the holy pilgrimage to the other world, to eternity,” Mgr Scicluna said.

Mr Scicluna suffered from a heart condition and it suddenly caught up with him.

What started off as a family pilgrimage happened to be... a holy pilgrimage to the other world

“We’ve been blessed because he survived a bypass in 2010 and we have to thank God for these five years and for his great life of 85 years. It’s still a shock for us but we have to be grateful for such a wonderful life.”

Mgr Scicluna remembers the unique relationship he had with his father. “We need to stop and thank God for the gift of our parents. We owe them so much.”

Mr Scicluna, clearly the source of Mgr Scicluna’s lively character, had spoken to this newspaper when his son became Malta’s Archbishop in March.

“When he was small, he became an altar boy. As he grew up, he was always becoming something. Now he became Archbishop,” he had said, recalling his son’s career path.

Mgr Scicluna had actually told his father about his career choice through music. Mr Scicluna was painting his house’s internal doors when his son, who was helping him, started playing a cassette of what sounded to him like music sung by nuns in a convent.

“When the cassette finished he played it again. I said nothing. It finished again and he played it again. I asked him what in the world he was listening to. He told me I’d better get used to it as he was becoming a priest,” he had said, chuckling.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday with Mass at Lija parish church at 9.15am. More details are expected to be announced today.