In the space of 48 hours, Malta has lost 160 years of gentlemanliness. With the death of Charles Grech Orr and John Micallef, at 84 and 76 respectively, both stalwarts of the The Times and The Sunday Times, we have lost two committed Christians and prominent advocates of serious journalism.

I knew Mr Micallef very well as we were next-door neighbours and often used to walk together to Stella Maris church to and from service. His great contribution to this newspaper, his Sunday column, appeared for decades and was a must-read for the many who, for years, looked forward to read Roamer’s column. It played an instrumental role in Maltese history during times when freedom and democracy could certainly not be taken for granted.

Ever giving soft-spoken yet eloquent advice, Mr Micallef was full of words of encouragement and inspiration to many, in their personal and their professional lives as well.

During the sermon at Mr Micallef’s funeral mass, parish priest Fr Claude Portelli said: “He was a faithful and a loving son of the Church and through his writings he has been a living witness and has contributed and fed our intellect”. One cannot put it better.

In both Mr Micallef and Mr Grech Orr, the Church has lost two advocates of Christian values in journalism. They were loyal and had the sense of humour that shows balance and hinterland in life. They both gave so much to all those they knew most, especially their family and friends.

Working in the world of print, I have had a long relationship with The Times and its Sunday sister paper and I remember two or three decades ago Mr Grech Orr captaining what was then and is now a Maltese institution. Mr Grech Orr lived a stone’s throw away in Sliema and I got to know him even better after his retirement through the parish.

I thank the Lord for giving me the honour and opportunity to know both these two men of integrity and drawing from them wise words of advice. Talking to them was a privilege; listening to them was an education.

They will be sorely missed in our Stella Maris parish too but they will not be forgotten.

I offer my sincere condolences to both their families.