Peter Serracino Inglott passes away

Additional reporting by Miriam Dalli

The former University Rector passed away at Mater Dei Hospital this morning.

A very close friend of Serracino Inglott, Architect Richard England had only words of praise for the friend he has known since he was 13 years of age.

"It's the most difficult thing to find words to describe a friend I have known since I was 13 years old," England said when contacted by MaltaToday.

"He is the best brain I have ever come across in all my life ... a man with the biggest heart."

England said that Malta has lost one of its greatest assets. "I have lost a dear friend ... I am speechless," he added.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi also expressed his condolences and described Serracino Inglott as one of the greatest Maltese thinkers of all times.

"With his work, Fr Peter was instrumental for the educative, social and cultural developments of our country," Gonzi said.

As a rector, Fr Peter implemented the policy that has made tertiary studies accessible to all. The Prime Minister said he would always be remembered for his humility.

"The Maltese will always be grateful for Fr Peter's contribution and the rich intellectual heritage he left in the sectors he worked so hard for," Gonzi said.

Alternattiva Demokratika also expressed its condolences to the Serracino Inglott family and AD Chairperson, Michael Briguglio said "Peter Seraccino Inglott was a true intellectual, a philosopher who dared to think outside the norm, in short, a free spirit. His influence at the university of Malta and amongst the academic community was immense. Condolences go to his family and closest ones."

Philosophy Professor Joe Friggieri said Fr Peter was "an outstanding and original thinker, whose breadth of vision marked his achievements in so many different fields. The Maltese Church, the University and the country as a whole are deeply indebted to him".

Fr Peter Serracino Inglott was born in 1936 and studied at Oxford University. He worked as an academic for most of his life and was also an influential figure within the Nationalist Party.

Ordained priest by then Cardinal Montini in Milan who was later elected as Pope Paul VI, Serracino Inglott was known to be the Catholic mentor to the Nationalist Party and served for many years as consultant to former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami.

Fr. Peter, as he was well known, headed the Philosophy Department at the University of Malta between 1971 and 1996 and served as the Prime Minister's appointee at the Convention on the Future of Europe presided by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.