Malta’s only serving Cardinal Prospero Grech has died, aged 94.

He died in a Rome hospital.

Born on Christmas Eve in 1925 as Stanley Grech, he was ordained as a bishop on 8 February 2012 and was given the title of Titular Archbishop of San Leone in Basilicata, Italy.

A few days later he was ordained cardinal by Pope Benedict. Being over 80 years of age, he did not take part in the conclave to elect his successor, Pope Francis.

He had joined the Augistinian Order in 1943 and given the name of Prospero. He was ordained a priest on 25 March 1950.

He graduated as a doctor of theology in Rome in 1953.

In 1959 he was appointed lecturer at the Augustinian Theological College in Rabat and served as secretary at the Vatican vicarate between 1962 and 1965.

He was given the Gieh ir-Repubblika Award in 2011.