If ever we needed confirmation that humility is not the virtue of the weak but of the strong, we had it in the person of Bishop Annetto Depasquale. He was a canonist without losing the pastoral attitude in his life; he was an academic without losing the joy of living the life of a priest in a parish; he became a Curia man without losing his simple approach to those who sought his advice; he became Vicar-General of Archbishop Giuseppe Mercieca, a very sensitive post during a very difficult era in the life of the Church and Malta, and his loyalty was unquestionable.
Yes, Mgr Depasquale taught us that humility pays; in truth, he was a Bishop Emanuel Galea (1892-1974) of our times.