Springing out of nowhere, Mgr Paul Cremona has become the most photographed person on the island in a matter of weeks. Ariadne Massa speaks to his parents, Joseph and Josephine, and his brother Lino, who have suddenly had to deal with strangers and acquaintances they haven't spoken to since World War II.

On January 25, 1946, the day marking the conversion of St Paul, Josephine Cremona went into labour at her home in Valletta. Her heart was heavy since she had not felt the baby kick or move inside her and she was convinced she would give birth to a stillborn child.

Instead, she was blessed with a big bundle of joy who cried loudly, just to make his presence felt. That was the first surprise... by the time Paul turned 61 last Thursday he had sprung another two surprises on his mother - he joined the Dominican convent at 15 and was consecrated Archbishop yesterday.

Little did the Cremonas dream that their second child would take them on a roller-coaster journey.

Sitting next to her 91-year-old husband in the kitchen, where Paul spent most of his childhood playing with siblings Lino and Mary Louise, Mrs Cremona, 85, reminisced about his birth.

"In those days it was different. We wouldn't be going to doctors to get an ultrasound. So in the last weeks of the pregnancy I was scared that the baby was dead because I couldn't feel any movement," she said.

"Paul turned out to be a big baby. The paediatrician would tease me that I had a fattened-up pig when he was merely 10 weeks old," she said bursting into a hearty chuckle, while exchanging a knowing glance with her husband.

The energy, wit and humour is still very much alive in this 64-year marriage and the two are constantly teasing one another.

"I knew his brother more than him since he was more my age, then I got lumped with him... and he got lumped with me," Mrs Cremona said. The two tied the knot on May 16, 1943 and exactly one year later Mrs Cremona gave birth to their first son, Lino. Paul followed shortly after and three years later Mary Louise was born.

The family speak fondly about young Paul's adventures.

"When he was just six weeks old I was about to change Paul's nappy on the bed, but he tumbled off. Luckily he escaped unscathed. He cried a bit, but that's all," she said, adding that he was quite a cry baby in those days.

His brother chipped in recounting the time his five-year-old brother joined him at the nuns' school, Tal-Pilar: "He was so upset to be away from his family that he cried endlessly. Finally, the teachers had to transfer him to my class for three weeks to pacify the little boy."

It didn't take long for his eyes to dry up and Mrs Cremona describes her second son as "naughty but nice", typical of any young boy. He had unlimited energy and was forever teasing his younger sister.

"Who knows how many times they would be under the kitchen table kicking each other and he'd call her a spoilsport if she left to tell on him... Not even the bird had a moment of peace with Paul around because he'd pick at his tail or something of the sort," she said, as her husband's face wrinkled into a smile. However, Mr Cremona's smile is replaced with tears as he recalled one incident with a heavy heart.

"He was in my catechism class and he always did very well. Every Sunday those who did well would get a Holy Picture, and they would all fight for it. Since I didn't wish anyone to think I was favouring Paul I'd give him less marks than he deserved and he didn't get the Holy Picture, even though he had earned it... I regret it to this day," he said his eyes welling up.

Lino interjects with a wide grin: "He'll never forgive you for that one."

Time moved on and the man who would be Malta's Archbishop started expressing a great interest in reading and languages, devouring any book at hand.

English was his favourite language and his pronunciation was so good he was chosen by the Lyceum for the school broadcast, reading out from the Mr Goon series on Rediffusion.

Discussing their scholastic years together sparked a sweet recollection.

"My father used to believe that the best time to study was early in the morning, so he'd wake us up at about 5.30 a.m.," Lino said, as his father gave a toothless grin in approval.

"Paul and I had the timetable stuck over our beds detailing what we had to study before we go to school. More often than not we'd dose off. However, I'd usually hear my father's footsteps and wake up, but Paul would remain asleep.

"When he wasn't sleeping, he'd slip a comic in his school books and pretend to be studying. His favourites were Beano and Dandy," he said as Mr Cremona nodded and chuckled heartily.

Lino adds: "He still loves comics. My dad continued buying them until four years ago, before he had a stroke and became a wheelchair user. Whenever Paul came home on Sundays he'd sneak off to the toilet with the comics to read them."

The comics must have distracted him a bit, because his mother remembers the time when Paul had failed some of his O levels and "had cried so much". He then put his head to it and passed all his re-sits.

When not at school or studying, the two brothers would convert the hallway into a football pitch, dashing off to the Upper Barrakka Gardens when their mother had had enough of them.

In those days, the gardens doubled up as today's Paceville and all the young children would gather there to play... or fall in love.

"I sometimes would sneak off to court a girl, but Paul was never interested. I have to add that in those days courting was very different from today's ventures.

The most we would do is maybe hold hands and my girlfriend, who is my wife today, would have to catch the bus back to Balzan at 7.30 p.m.," Lino recalled.

So did Paul ever have a girlfriend or fancied a girl?

"You have to keep in mind that he entered the convent when he was just 15 years old. If he did like a girl he never told me anything and he never had a girlfriend," Lino said.

The news that Paul intended to become a priest left everyone speechless and the fact that he wanted to join the Dominican convent was an even greater surprise, since the family were mostly parishioners of the church of St James.

"It was obvious it was God's call," Mrs Cremona said.

The mother only got wind of her son's plans when the Dominican provincial, a friend of the family, told her that Paul was expressing an eagerness to join the convent.

"I kept staring at him, not knowing what to say," she added.

Did religion play an important part in Paul's life when he was young?

"We weren't fanatic or anything. We used to pray together and say the rosary, but we weren't like certain families who feel they have to pray every single minute... we carried out our duties."

When Lino actually confronted his brother about it he denied it saying: "Who me? A priest?" Four months later he joined the convent.

"I was neither thrilled, nor was I disappointed. He was the first one to leave home and, being so young, I was very sad to see him go... It was like my son was being taken away from me. It was very hard. I was forever dreaming that he's coming back home," his mother said, trying to describe her emotions.

In those days the family could only see him for a couple of hours once a month at the Dominican convent in Rabat or during the festivities, so it was an even bigger cross for her to bear.

"Once Paul told me they would be passing by St Albert's College, so I took a stroll in the area in the hope of seeing him. When he walked by, he whispered that he couldn't stop and talk... Convent life was very strict in those days."

His brother was allowed more frequent, albeit very short, visits, so he would often take the trip to the convent, equipped with four cheesecakes on his mother's orders, to make sure Paul was not starving and that all was fine.

The family missed him so much that when Paul moved to Guardamangia, to the Fatima parish, his father would occasionally pass by the area because he knew they would take their recreation on the roof and so he would try to catch a glimpse of his son.

Fast forward to the present and his family believe their son and brother has retained his traits, plus added a few to his portfolio. They describe him as witty, a man who loves to joke, charismatic, approachable, loyal, a good preacher, but very self-disciplined.

The family learnt that Mgr Cremona was the chosen one to replace Archbishop Mgr Joseph Mercieca just one night before all of Malta found out.

Lino takes it on himself to say the story. "The Nuncio called him on Tuesday... On Wednesday Paul called me at 9 p.m., which is quite unusual, just to tell me he had good news and asked me if I was free on Saturday because he had two errands to run... since Paul doesn't drive, I'm his personal driver. I guess I'm now redundant since the Archbishop will be driven around."

"I couldn't sleep that night tossing and turning. Then on Friday Paul called me at home at 9 p.m. to break the good news since it had leaked to the media."

"I cried when I got to know," said Mr Cremona, as his wife teased him she didn't see any tears.

Mrs Cremona didn't shed a tear, though she admits she was speechless when she heard the news. She is the rock of the family and despite her own ailments she forges ahead and accepts the hand life deals her. "Since the news emerged we didn't have much time to think because we have been invaded by people and the media. Friends, some of whom we haven't seen or spoken to in 40 years, acquaintances and strangers have been calling to wish us well or stopping us in the street. There was one person who we haven't spoken to since the war. It's been overwhelming," she said.

The Church is passing through a rough time and people have high expectations from their new Archbishop. How do they feel about this? "I'm worried about it. It's true there's need for a change, but it won't be easy. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful thing to have your son consecrated Archbishop... but I do worry," his mother said.

Mrs Cremona is your typical mother who worries that her son never eats or is working too hard. Now that Paul has had to lose some weight due to his blood sugar levels, she worries that he's lost too much.

Her son will need all the energy he can get now that he has become the Church's new Shepherd who has to lead the flock... and some sceptical sheep along the way.

His charisma should get him through. Even though Lino says that his brother never enjoyed public life, he is quick to specify: "He doesn't shy away from it, but he never enjoyed it. Last week Paul and I were being filmed walking through the streets of Valletta for a television programme and people kept stopping him all the time. This must be your biggest sacrifice of your episcopate, I told him. He nodded."

No one would have guessed!

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