Promising new Archbishop

Among the blessings that the Maltese community has received from the Lord in 2006 there was the nomination of a new Archbishop, Fr Paul Cremona, OP. Indeed his nomination by the Holy See did take longer than normally expected. But the end result was quite pleasant.

Having a new bishop at the helm is always a blessing, but when his nomination finds the consensus of priests and laity of good will, the blessing is more visibly a great present, coming as it does before Christmas.

The future is quite promising. No doubt Archbishop Cremona will rely on the sound judgment, the vast experience and the great prudence of his predecessor, Archbishop Joseph Mercieca, who will now have his well-deserved rest.

At this stage it is certainly opportune to reflect, in the interior silence of the Christmas season, on the important role of a bishop today. The bishop is seen to be the chief creator of the community and the main seeker of Christian unity, which knows no boundaries. He is considered as the animator and the promoter of co-ordinated apostolic zeal and sustained effort in the local Church with total loyalty to the magisterium of the Church.

To this end, he must continually renew himself by the study of scripture and theology, while at the same time trying to keep in permanent and close touch with the real needs of his people. The bishop has to teach by example as well as by word: a man "who cries out the gospel with the whole of his life" (Charles de Foucauld).

Much to his credit, thanks to his rich pastoral experience as parish priest in three localities, Dominican provincial and a distinguished scholar, Archbishop Cremona is well conscious of the needs of the whole community and must have special concern for the young, the elderly, the needy and the state of the family in the archdiocese.

He is aware that no bishop, no leader, however graced, can fulfil all the various functions with equal effectiveness. Indeed, a bishop, without abdicating his responsibility, must delegate adequately so as to release the energies and the initiatives of his closest collaborators.

Surely, it is in this direction and in this spirit that Archbishop Cremona has been keeping himself very active with various sectors of the flock entrusted to his care, proving himself to be a very keen listener. Now one looks forward to the selection of qualified priests, religious and laity, who will form his team for the years to come.

One very important consideration with regard to the Archbishop of Malta is that he is not only the bishop of the diocese, but he is the "archbishop of a nation". In this exceptional role, the Maltese Archbishop has to find "quality time" to think at length, undisturbed, to plan very intelligently, not only on a national level, but also on a European and an international one.

An exceptional charism of our new pastor is enthusiasm. This is indispensable for any leader. Archbishop Cremona is well aware that there's very little a good leader can accomplish in the community unless he has a genuine, deep-seated zeal for his noble mission.

We will follow him with our heart, our prayers and our enthusiasm.