The Archbishop of Glasgow, Philip Tartaglia, has been laid to rest in the crypt of St Andrew’s Cathedral, in a moving Requiem Mass, celebrated by Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen, assisted by Monsignor Hugh Bradley and by the late Archbishop’s brother Gerard.
In his homily, Bishop Gilbert reminded mourners that while he was in no way given to “self-advertising”, Archbishop Tartaglia was affectionately known as “Big Phil”. Bishop Gilbert described a man who was “not small in any sense, someone of gravitas, and someone in whom head and heart came together, possessed of intellectual force and clarity and at the same time of great human worth”.
After completing his ecclesiastical training in Rome, Philip Tartaglia was ordained in 1975 by then Archbishop Thomas Winning, serving as assistant and parish priest in Cardonald, Dumbarton and Duntocher. He served as Rector of the Pontifical Scots College in 2004 and 2005, before being consecrated at Bishop of Paisley, before being installed as Archbishop of Glasgow, his home city, in September 2012.
At a reception of Remains at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrew’s and Edinburgh, said that Archbishop Tartaglia’s passing was a “sudden and sad loss for all of us in our little corner of the Lord’s vineyard in Scotland” and praised his “unique goodness and humour”, giving thanks for “his taking up the many heavy tasks that were placed on his shoulders over nearly fifty years of service to the people”.
Bishop Gilbert in his homily echoed that sense of duty and responsibility, recalling Archbishop Tartaglia’s role in comforting victims and others affected by the Clutha bar helicopter crash and the George Square bin lorry tragedy, two of the darkest moments the city faced during his term of office. Bishop Gilbert told the small number of mourners able to attend the Requiem Mass that the bishop who had called to inform him of Philip Tartaglia’s death had been in tears, an appropriate reaction at this time and one not to be restrained.
Others recalled how overawed Archbishop Tartaglia had been to be asked to preside at the Requiem Mass in 2019 of Celtic and Scotland legend Billy McNeill another big man who presence and authority earned him the nickname “Cesar”. Philip Tartaglia was an ardent Celtic fan and regarded his presence at McNeill’s funeral as an extraordinary moment in a long life of service.
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