The body of Lilongwe Archbishop Tarcisius Gervazio Ziyaye has been laid to rest today inside the Maula Cathedral in Lilongwe.
President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Saulos Chilima as well as Roman Catholic Church leaders were among the people who attended the burial ceremony.
Earlier, a state funeral mass was held for Ziyaye at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.
Speaking during the ceremony, Chakwera said he considered Ziyaye as his elder brother who gave him advice whenever he needed it.
“I was encouraged by the advice he gave me privately since the time I announced my decision to join politics,” said Chakwera.
He added that the Archbishop was a peace loving person, who strived to ensure that the country continue to progress in peace.
Speaking earlier, Chairperson of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa said Ziyaye encouraged unity and teamwork among leaders of the Catholic Church.
Msusa added that Ziyaye was development conscious and in dioceses where he served he made sure that there were good structures.
“He was a well-focused leader and that is why he quickly rose to the position of bishop and then archbishop. He was also appointed to several positions locally and internationally,” said Msusa.
He further said that Ziyaye was concerned with plight of the poor and was worried when he saw people sleeping at depots while waiting to buy cheap fertilizer under the Affordable Inputs Subsidy.
The late Archbishop Ziyaye was ordained priest in 1977 and served as Auxiliary Bishop of Dedza, Coadjutor Bishop of Lilongwe, Bishop of Lilongwe, Archbishop of Blantyre and, finally, Archbishop of Lilongwe.
He died aged 71 on Monday in Namibia where he was receiving medical treatment.
Ziyaye came from Khombe village in the area of Traditional Authority Zulu in Mchinji.
