[EricT.]

(From Acts 10)
25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

At the risk of being branded a Catholic-basher, it seems to me that such humility has been lacking in the Papacy for centuries.

[tiki]

Maybe not a basher but one who has listened to the MSM and remained ignorant.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, some popes are humble, and some not, just as some popes are saints, and some not.

However, please do not confuse the trappings of office, with vain ostentation. For instance, a pope's gold ring is no more ostentation than your wedding ring: it means "I have a place --- a relationship ---in which God has placed me, I have a ring to signify it, I have a vow to be faithful to it."

Likewise do not misconstrue ceremonial vestments, which are no more a "personal fashion statement" than a Marine's Dress Blues:

It's the official clothing of office and ceremony, not a private caprice.

It's not wealth, either. Pope Benedict, who had (has) a much stronger interest in liturgical vesmens and rubrics than does his successor Francis, moved into his office with his personal clothing and a breviary, a couple crates of books, a piano, and a cat. He left with, I think, less than that.

I like this passage from G.K. Chesterton:

"[Archbishop Thomas] Becket wore a hair shirt under his gold and crimson, and there is much to be said for the combination; for Becket got the benefit of the hair shirt while the people in the street got the benefit of the crimson and gold. It is at least better than the manner of the modern millionaire, who has the black and the drab outwardly for others, and the gold next his heart."

Having said that, we could all use more humility. Even though I'm in the 99^th percentile on the International Humility Charts, I could do with a little more, myself. :o)

[Cronos]

well, not quite — Pope John Paul II was very humble as well and Pope Benedict in his own way.