As archbishop, Paul Cremona connected with people but struggled to take tough decisions within the institution of the Church and this often weighed heavily on him, according to two priests who publicly lauded and criticised him during his tenure.

The 2011 divorce referendum affected him deeply, causing him to doubt whether he could have somehow been to blame for the result. And the unprecedented resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2013 likely encouraged him to make his own historic decision in Malta a year later, they said.

As tributes pouring in for the archbishop who led the Church in Malta from 2007 to 2014, Times of Malta on Wednesday asked Fr René Camilleri and Fr Joe Borg to reflect on his legacy. Cremona died the night before, aged 79.

Both priests said he will be remembered for his profound pastoral touch and deep connection with people.

“He had a different frame of mind because he wasn’t coming from within the institution,” said Camilleri, who lived with Cremona for eight years. 

“He was a Dominican friar, a preacher, a counsellor at heart. He brought a pastoral touch that gave many people a lot of hope.”

Borg echoed this sentiment, recalling the large crowds who greeted Cremona in Valletta upon his appointment.

“He stole people’s hearts and led a Church close to people,” he said.

The beloved archbishop struggled, however, with the inner workings of the Church.

“What depleted him was the institution… the bureaucratic set-up of the curia. It was an impediment that weighed on him and ultimately began to exhaust him,” Camilleri said. 

Borg added: “He struggled to take tough decisions that were bound to hurt some people, even when those decisions were justified and needed to be taken for the greater good”.

Divorce referendum a turning point

The 2011 divorce referendum deeply affected Cremona, according to both priests. People around him had somehow convinced him the majority would not vote for the introduction of divorce, both priests recalled, and he was shaken by the result.

“Back then it felt to me like he was doubting if he were somehow to blame for the result,” Camilleri said.

“Having said that, he was in touch with people and was well aware of the difficult realities many families were already facing then.”

Borg said: “The result was a shock to many in the Church, especially because it sent a more profound message – that the country had changed. It was a resounding realisation that the culture had shifted.”

Borg himself played a role in that divorce campaign, on the then-archbishop’s request.

But before the divorce saga Cremona had helped organise another historic moment for the church in Malta.

Benedict’s 27-hour visit to Malta in April 2010 made international headlines when the pontiff held a surprise, unscheduled meeting with victims of clerical abuse – a move which was hailed as a historic first.

Camilleri said that after the papal visit he remembers Cremona hosting the victims again at their former residence in Attard.

The resignation

But by the time Benedict historically resigned from office in February 2013, Cremona had already long been burdened by the weight of a Church which he loved, but was finding increasingly difficult to lead.

Camilleri and Borg suggest Benedict’s bold decision to break with tradition likely encouraged Cremona to do the same just 20 months later.

Cremona first hinted to Camilleri and Borg that he was considering resigning during a meeting with them and Fr Joe Inguanez. 

The two priests recall having been invited over by the archbishop after they had been openly critical of the direction in which the church was heading.

Camilleri said they were allowed to speak their minds during that meeting, and Borg recalled it was “a long, beautiful meeting during which [they] were able to speak with great freedom” about how they felt the church could be better.

“And that’s when he told us he had been considering a resignation for a few weeks,” Borg said.

“We had told him he had many good qualities and with some administrative help it wouldn’t be necessary for him to resign. A few days later he resigned.”

Cremona told Camilleri about his definitive decision to step down two days before it was made public.

“We were alone. He held my hand and told me he was feeling tired and had written his resignation letter,” Camilleri recalled.

“I was shocked because no bishop had ever resigned before.”

Borg believes the decision to resign was not an attempt to shirk responsibility. Rather, it was yet another act of love to the Church.

“I believe it was inspired by Benedict’s resignation, and just like the pope’s, Cremona’s resignation was an act of service,” he said.

Camilleri added: “I guess he felt it would be more beneficial for the Church. And if Benedict was humble enough to do it, so could he.”

The final conversation

Camilleri last spoke with Cremona last week in hospital.

“We spoke at length, and he was extremely lucid. We even discussed the latest developments with the ongoing wars, and he shared his concerns about arms financing,” he said.

“He was a good, genuine, affable man. He was very humble and would never judge anyone, no matter what they did.

Borg added: “He was open-minded and people-centred. I’d say he was people-oriented, rather than task-oriented.” 

“He would sometimes be criticised for acting more like a parish priest than a bishop. I think that was a compliment though, because that’s what the Church should be like – close to people.”

Ultimately, both priests agreed, Cremona’s legacy is one of a deeply compassionate leader who prioritised people over institutions, even as he grappled with the challenges of his office.

His resignation, a historic moment, reflected his commitment to the Church and his recognition of his own limitations.