'Only God can see into her troubled heart' says bishop conducting Riggi children's funeral

Pasquale Riggi, pictured, the children's father who said last week he had been "paralysed by grief" at their tragic deaths, led the mourners at the requiem mass where the lives of eight year-old twins Luke and Austin and their little sister Cecilia , aged five, were celebrated "with light and flowers and songs".

There were tears inside St Mary's Cathedral in Aberdeen city centre as the service ended with the popular children's hymn, "This little light of mine I'm going to let it shine" before the three small oak coffins, containing the bodies of the three children, were each borne from the cathedral by two pallbearers as muffled bells pealed from the cathedral spire.

The enormity of his loss was etched on the strained face of the children's father, an oil reservoir engineer with oil giant Shell, as he entered the cathedral for the service, wearing dark glasses and accompanied by his parents, Mario and Silvia Riggi, together with his sister and brother in law Lillian and Joe Mancinelli, who each paid personal tributes to the children on behalf of the grieving family.

Relatives of the children's mother Theresa Riggi, who has been charged with murdering her children in a townhouse in Edinburgh's Slateford Road on 4 August, were amongst the estimated 160 mourners in the cathedral.

• From left to right: Luke Riggi, Cecilia Riggi, Austin Riggi

In his homily, Peter Moran, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Aberdeen, called on the hushed congregation to remember the estranged wife of Mr Riggi in their prayers.

Bishop Moran told mourners: "After this sermon you will be invited to pray in your hearts for various intentions - to confide to God your hopes for others and for yourselves.

"In some quiet corner of your mind, think of mentioning Theresa, the children's mother. Only God can see into her troubled heart."

Said Bishop Moran: "The unthinkable has happened - the unbearable has to be borne.

"We are here - family, friends, work colleagues, clergy - because we don't want Pasquale, his parents and parents-in-law to carry that unbearable burden alone, to suffer alone in their terrible loss. As individuals and as a community all of us are here today to comfort Pasquale and those close to him as best we can and to honour the memory of three lovely children.

"Amid their own deep sorrow, the family themselves have courageously set the tone of today's service - with light, and flowers, and songs - a tone of hope and love."

Concluding his sermon, Bishop Moran told mourners: "Everyone hoped and thought that the admirable characteristics already recognised in Luke, Cecilia and Austin would develop and flower in life.

"Now we know that they are already flowering in heaven, part of the present glory which delights the angels and to which we struggle to aspire."

Three boards, covered with pictures of the three children as they grew up, greeted mourners as they entered the cathedral for the 90 minute service where three symbolic candles were lit to mark their loss.

Mr Riggi had requested that the service should be private. But Bishop Moran explained that tributes had been paid to the children by their aunt Lillian and uncle Joe from Colorado and by John Martin, a close friend of the family.

The Bishop continued: "Everyone was very much distressed, but the fact that the service was so well prepared and so structured meant that we were carried along by the strength of that structure. The hymns and the readings were chosen by the family with advice from the Church. Mr Riggi played no part in the service but he had a great deal to do with planning it."

The funeral mass and service of thanksgiving at the cathedral was followed by a private service at the city's crematorium.