Archbishop Mgr Paul Cremona has resigned the post. He has said that he has been thinking about it for two years, and that he is leaving the helm of the church in Malta. It has taken him quite a while, but he has finally made up his mind.

It was not an easy thing, I am sure. Leaving the leadership of the Church after having been entrusted with the mission must have torn the affable bishop for a long time. He faced internal pressure and some of it spilled out in public too. But at the end of the day it took a lot of courage on his part to throw in the towel. Not all people who should resign have the guts to do it.

He must have taken strength from the fact that, not so long ago, someone higher up than him in the Church hierarchy also called it a day. Pope Benedict XVI became the first pontiff in centuries to give up the post, and he also cited health reasons.

What must have contributed to Mgr Cremona's decisions was the way Maltese society evolved quickly under his tenure. When he was appointed in 2007, Malta was one of two countries where divorce was not legal and civil unions were barely discussed.

Within a space of seven years, Malta went through a divorce referendum campaign that the Church lost heavily, in spite of the money it spent on a marketing exercise against its introduction. Then, with the change in government came the strong push by the new administration for the legalisation of civil unions, including the adoption of children by partners of the same sex, with Malta becoming one of the first countries to make them legally possible.

Seven years ago, Malta was considered as being still a conservative country where things moved slowly. Suddenly, it became one of the more liberal nations, and things are moving fast.

Added to this, the continuing decline in the number of people attending Mass, and failed attempts to give the Church and its teachings a new impetus must have also been determining factors that affected the outgoing archbishop. The enthusiasm with which his appointment was welcomed quickly faded away.

Still, Mgr Cremona must not be remembered for these things only. His truly genuine character as well as his coming across in words that were easily understood had many following what he said, even those who do not believe much in Church teachings and still less practise them.

The country should remain grateful for his contribution.