Let’s hope our political leaders will learn from Pope Francis’s humility

WHEN you think about it, the really surprising thing is how surprised we all were.

And pleased. When he was a bishop, the new Pope went to work by bus. He doesn’t like the idea of having a chauffeur.

Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t he an extraordinary man? Isn’t there, suddenly, new hope in the world? Well yes, maybe there is. When I was writing (without regret, and as an outsider to the Church) about the resignation of Pope Benedict a few weeks ago, I said his papacy had failed to reignite support for the Church, but that we’re all the poorer for the loss of values. I read all the speculation about who the next Pope might be — none of it that I can recall predicted the outcome correctly.