The Emeritus Archbishop of Glasgow, Mario Conti, has died at the age of 88.
Archbishop Mario passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow following a short illness, the Archdiocese of Glasgow confirmed.
A priest for 64 years, he became Archbishop of Glasgow in 2002, serving in the role for 10 years. In this time, he welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to Glasgow in 2010 during his state visit to the United Kingdom, where he held a public Mass in Bellahouston Park.
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During his time as Archbishop of Glasgow, Archbishop Mario also oversaw the renovation of St Andrew's Cathedral and the construction of the adjacent Italian Cloister Garden to remember the victims of the wartime Arandora Star tragedy.
Archbishop William Nolan, the current Archbishop of Glasgow, said: "The death of Archbishop Mario will be felt not just in the Archdiocese of Glasgow, but across Scotland and beyond. He was a much-loved figure, a man of great energy and pastoral zeal, who loved the Church and loved the people in his care.
"When I was appointed Archbishop earlier this year I found him both gracious and welcoming and full of ideas and suggestions for the future."
He trained at St Mary's College, Blairs, Aberdeenshire, before studying at the Scots College and Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he obtained degrees in philosophy and theology and was ordained a priest in Rome on October 26, 1958.
After a series of roles, including his only Parish Priest appointment to Wick and Thurso - Scotland's most northerly mainland Catholic parishes - he was named bishop of Aberdeen in February 1977.
He was one of the last surviving bishops in the world to have been appointed by Pope (now saint) Paul VI.
He also held honorary doctorates from the Universities of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Glasgow Caledonian and was also a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a former lead chaplain to the Knights of Malta and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.
The President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, Bishop Hugh Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen said on Thursday evening: "It was with great sadness that we learned today (November 8, 2022) of the death of Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti.
"His presence as a bishop has been a constant for so long, it is difficult to remember a time when he wasn't an active or retired member of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland.
"As the current Bishop of Aberdeen I have many fond memories of him during his 25 years as Bishop of Aberdeen. Although he became Archbishop of Glasgow in 2002, his ties to the North East of Scotland remained strong.
"His interest in and knowledge of Scotland's Catholic history was well known and his commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of the church was unwavering.
"In his retirement, he was a source of great wisdom and pastoral support to his successors both in Glasgow and Aberdeen.
"His work in ecumenism and interfaith matters as well as his affection for the Italian community in Scotland were among his defining characteristics.
"On behalf of the Bishops of Scotland, we commend his soul into the hands of God and pray that he may enjoy eternal rest."
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