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The family of John Hume have urged people in his home city to light a candle to pay tribute to his peacemaking legacy.<\/p>\nThe family of John Hume have urged people in his home city to light a candle to pay tribute to his peacemaking legacy.<\/p>\n
The former SDLP leader\u2019s body will be taken from Moville in Co Donegal to St Eugene\u2019s Cathedral in Derry on Tuesday evening ahead of his funeral on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Mr Hume was a key architect of the Belfast Agreement and was awarded the Nobel Prize for the pivotal role he played in the peace process<\/p>\n
He died on Monday aged 83, having endured a long battle with dementia.<\/p>\n
In ordinary circumstances, Mr Hume\u2019s removal service and subsequent funeral would have been expected to draw huge crowds, but numbers will now be limited due to coronavirus restrictions.<\/p>\n
Mr Hume\u2019s widow, Pat, and other family members have urged people to stay at home and instead light a candle for peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohn loved the people of Derry and Donegal,\u201d the family said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe heartfelt and sincere condolences that we have received from people across the island, but particularly from the communities John loved being a part of, have been immensely comforting to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Hume\u2019s coffin will leave Moville across the Border at 7.30pm on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at the cathedral at around 8.30pm.<\/p>\n
His family added: \u201cWe know that he would have prioritized public health and the safety and health of our communities. We\u2019re asking people to follow that guidance \u2013 please do not put yourself or others at risk. Instead, we would ask that people light a candle for peace at 9pm in their homes or at their door.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fr Paul Farren, from St Eugene\u2019s Cathedral, said: \u201cPat and her family are very grateful for the outpouring of love and support following the death of their beloved John.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe family are anxious that a public gathering for John\u2019s funeral might inadvertently put someone\u2019s health at risk in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic, and are asking that people express their grief by staying at home and joining with the Hume family in a Celebration of Light for Peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of lining roads and streets to show respect to John, it is the wish of the Hume family that we remain at home and, at 9.00pm, light a candle and join with the family to pray the prayer for peace of Saint Francis of Assisi in the presence of John\u2019s body in the cathedral.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Celebration of Light for Peace is a fitting tribute to a much loved and distinguished Irishman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Hume, a former MP, Stormont Assembly member and MEP, was a founding member of the party he went on to lead for 22 years.<\/p>\n
He was a key figure in the civil rights campaigns of the late 1960s and also played a leading role in the formation of the credit union movement.<\/p>\n