The Emeritus Archbishop of Glasgow Scotland, Archbishop Mario Conti, has passed away at the ripe old age of 88. The Catholic Church’s Bishops’ Conference of Scotland reported Archbishop Conti died peacefully on Tuesday after battling a short illness at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
He succeeded Cardinal Thomas Winning as Archbishop of Glasgow in 2002 and retired 10 years later.
Glasgow Mario Conti Legacy
Mario was Born in Elgin, he served as a priest for close to 65 years and a bishop for 45 years. He was one of the last surviving bishops in the world to have been appointed by the great Pope Paul VI. One of his proudest moments came when he had also welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to Britain at the first public Mass of the German Pope’s state visit in 2010 in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.
The president for the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, Bishop of Aberdeen Hugh Gilbert, reported in a statement that Archbishop Conti’s presence “has been a constant for so long, it is difficult to remember a time when he was not an active or retired member of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland”.
He has reported:
“As the current Bishop of Aberdeen I have many fond memories of him during his 25 years as Bishop of Aberdeen. Although he also became Archbishop of Glasgow in 2002 his links 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.
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“His work at ecumenism and interfaith matters and his affection for the Italian community in Scotland were among his defining role and features .”
Rt Rev Dr. Iain Greenshields, the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, reported:
“We are very saddened to learn about the death of Archbishop Mario Conti and extend our deepest sympathy, thoughts, and prayers to his family, friends, and members of the Catholic Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
He has also added:
“Archbishop Conti made an outstanding contribution to ecumenism within Scotland and internationally and we recall this with gratitude.”