Updated 11.50am

Dun Victor Grech's coffin was carried into St John's Co-Cathedral on Saturday by people he helped save from substance abuse, as the influential priest was laid to rest.  

Grech, whose name was synonymous with Caritas Malta, died on February 5 aged 95. 

Archbishop Charles Scicluna described Grech as “a prophet” in an emotional funeral homily at the Co-Cathedral.

“Dun Victor wasn’t only a priest but also a prophet,” he said. “He managed to save so many people and restore them. He was a patriot and a true Maltese.”

Grech's funeral was organized by the state and began with a cortege that took his hearse from the San Blas rehabilitation centre in Żebbuġ to Ibraġġ, where Grech lived and worked, and finally Valletta. 

Mourners gather in the rain

People lined Ibraġġ streets to pay their respects to a man respected for having dedicated his life to helping others. 

Scicluna noted as much during the funeral mass, describing  Grech as "a priest who walked among the people."

In Valletta, the rain poured steadily as mourners gathered outside St John’s, umbrellas dotting the square as they waited in silence for Grech’s coffin to be carried inside.

Among the pallbearers were people who Grech had helped as they sought to overcome substance abuse problems. 

The solemn melody of Ave Maria, sung by tenor Joseph Calleja, filled the cathedral as they carried the coffin into the church.

Monsignor Paul Carmel Vella began the ceremony, which was then led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, who delivered an emotional homily.

“ We love you and we thank you Dun Victor,” Scicluna said at the end of the celebration, prompting the entire church to erupt in applause.

A packed church

The Co-Cathedral was packed with people from all walks of life. Among them were some of Malta’s most prominent figures, including President Myriam Spiteri Debono and her husband Anthony, Prime Minister Robert Abela and his wife Lydia, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech with his wife, AnneMarie, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

Ministers, permanent secretaries, and members of Parliament from both sides of the aisle were also present.

The cathedral was also filled with those whose lives Grech had touched through his work at Caritas - administrators, workers, and individuals who had relied on the service, accompanied by their families. Among them was former President George Abela, who previously volunteered with the organisation.

Clergy members from across the country  - priests, bishops, and others who had known Grech from his years as rector of the seminary - were also present in large numbers.

The first reading, from the Book of Job, was read by Grech’s nephew, Neil Sammut. The responsorial psalm followed, read by his niece, Marcelle Bugeja. The second reading, taken from a letter to the Hebrews, was read by Anthony Gatt, director of Caritas.

A mourner holds a portrait of Dun Victor Grech. Photo: Archdiocese of Malta

The funeral was organised and financed by the state. Grech's burial at Addolorata Cemetery is private. 

Grech was involved in Caritas since its inception in Malta in 1977 and served as its director for decades. Apart from his campaigning work against drug and alcohol abuse, he also worked on public radio, leading an advice show for 50 years.

Grech was made a member of the National Order of Merit in 1993 and received the European Citizens’ Prize in 2013. In 2021 he was awarded Ġieħ iż-Żejtun and also won the annual Active Aging Award.

The casket at St John's Co-Cathedral. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Mourners packed the pews of St John's Co-Cathedral. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli