Archbishop Emanuel Gerada died this morning, aged 90.

Archbishop Gerada had been influential in mediating in the ongoing quarrel between the Church and the Malta Labour Party in the 1960s and for the signing of an agreement which ended the conflict, on Good Friday of 1969.

The Curia said in a statement that Bishop Gerada, who is from Zejtun, was consecrated titular bishop of Nomentum and auxiliary to Archbishop Michael Gonzi in 1967. A year later, he was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Malta.

His appointment had been preceded by a career in the Holy See which he resumed in 1973.

He was apostolic nuncio to El Salvador, Guatemala, Pakistan and Ireland.

He retired in Malta in 1995.

Archbishop Gerada shall be lying in state from 4.30 to 7.30 p.m. on Monday at the Oratory, next to the Zejtun parish church and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, at St John's CoCathedral in Valletta.

The funeral mass is on Tuesday at 3 p.m. He will be buried in the family grave at San Girgor's Cemetery in Zejtun.