Dear friends, peace be with you.
When we look at the history of the Papacy, it is easy to be dazzled by the marble, the gold, and the weight of centuries of authority. We see the Chair of Peter often depicted as a throne of power. Yet, if we look through the eyes of faith, we remember that the first “throne” of the Church was a rough wooden cross, and the first vestment was a towel wrapped around the waist of a Savior kneeling to wash dust from weary feet.
Throughout the ages, God has raised up shepherds who remembered this paradox: that in the Kingdom of Heaven, to be first is to be last, and to lead is to serve. These men, though burdened with the keys of the Kingdom, sought not to be monarchs of the earth but fathers to the poor. They remind us that the brightness of the papacy comes not from jewels, but from the reflection of Christ’s humility.
In this article, Christian Way will not merely list names and dates. We will journey together into the hearts of ten successors of Peter who, whether by resigning power, selling crowns, or embracing poverty, showed us the face of the humble Christ. May their stories inspire us to lower ourselves so that He might be exalted.
Table of The Top 10 Popes Known for Their Humility and Service
| Rank | Pope | Reign | The Act of Humility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Pope Benedict XVI | 2005–2013 | Resigned the Papacy to serve in prayer |
| 9 | Pope Adrian VI | 1522–1523 | Refused Renaissance luxury for austere reform |
| 8 | St. Celestine V | 1294 | The hermit who resigned for a pure conscience |
| 7 | St. Paul VI | 1963–1978 | Sold the Papal Tiara for the poor |
| 6 | St. Pius X | 1903–1914 | “Born poor, lived poor, died poor” |
| 5 | Bl. John Paul I | 1978 | The “Smiling Pope” who shunned royal pomp |
| 4 | St. John XXIII | 1958–1963 | Visited prisoners as “Joseph your brother” |
| 3 | Pope Francis | 2013–Present | Washes the feet of prisoners and refugees |
| 2 | St. Gregory the Great | 590–604 | Coined “Servant of the Servants of God” |
| 1 | St. Peter the Apostle | c. 30–64/67 | The Rock who learned strength through failure |
Top 10. Pope Benedict XVI: The Humble Worker in the Vineyard
We begin our journey with a memory still fresh in many of our hearts. On a quiet February day in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world not with a decree of power, but with a statement of frailty. Recognizing that his physical strength was no longer adequate for the immense demands of the Petrine ministry, he became the first pope in six centuries to voluntarily resign.
This was not an act of abandoning the cross, but of accepting it in a new way. It requires immense humility to admit, before the eyes of the entire world, “I can no longer do this as the Lord deserves.” In his first appearance after his election, he had called himself a “simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.” His resignation was the ultimate proof of that statement. He stepped out of the spotlight and into the shadows of a monastery garden, dedicating his final years to silence and prayer for the Church.
For us, dear friends, Benedict is a teacher of self-awareness. He teaches us that our worth is not found in our title or our utility, but in our obedience to God’s will—even when that will asks us to step down and let another lead.
Spiritual Highlights
- Key Moment: February 11, 2013, announcing his resignation in Latin to the cardinals.
- Scripture: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Top 9. Pope Adrian VI: The Forgotten Reformer
Let us turn back the pages of history to the 16th century, a time when the Vatican was often more like a royal court than a house of prayer. Into this world of Renaissance excess came Adrian VI, a carpenter’s son from Utrecht. He was the last non-Italian pope until John Paul II, and he arrived in Rome with a heart set on penance.
Adrian was horrified by the luxury he found. He dismissed the court poets and musicians, refused to build statues, and lived a life of strict austerity. He famously admitted the sins of the hierarchy that had contributed to the Protestant Reformation, seeking to heal the Church through personal holiness and institutional repentance. Tragically, he was misunderstood and disliked by the Roman court for his simplicity, and he died after only one year.
Yet, God sees what history often overlooks. Adrian teaches us that popularity is not the measure of faithfulness. To stand for truth and simplicity in a culture of excess is a lonely road, but it is the road to Calvary.
Spiritual Highlights
- Legacy: He is often called the “Holiest of the Renaissance Popes” for his refusal to compromise with worldly vanity.
- Quote: “How much it matters in what times the work of even the best of men falls.”
Top 8. St. Celestine V: The Hermit’s Great Refusal
High in the Abruzzi mountains, there lived a holy hermit named Pietro, who desired nothing but solitude with God. In 1294, after the papacy had been vacant for two years due to political infighting, the cardinals, in a moment of desperation (or perhaps inspiration), elected this simple eighty-year-old monk as Pope.
He took the name Celestine V. However, the pomp of the papal court was a prison to his soul. He realized that the complex administration of the Church was endangering his own salvation and that he lacked the skills to govern. After only five months, he issued a decree declaring that a pope could resign, and he stripped off his papal robes to put his hermit’s tunic back on. Dante famously placed him in the Inferno for “the Great Refusal,” but the Church canonized him a saint.
Celestine’s humility lay in his honesty. He knew who he was before God, and he refused to pretend to be someone else. He reminds us that our primary vocation is not a career, but the salvation of our souls.
Spiritual Highlights
- Symbol: He rode into L’Aquila on a donkey for his coronation, imitating Christ.
- Scripture: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)
Top 7. St. Paul VI: The Pope Who Sold His Crown
For centuries, popes were crowned with the Triregnum—a triple tiara symbolizing their authority over heaven, earth, and the lower regions. It was a heavy object, laden with jewels and history. Then came Paul VI. At the end of the second session of the Second Vatican Council in 1964, he did something unprecedented.
During a solemn liturgy, Pope Paul VI descended from the papal throne, took the tiara from his head, and laid it on the altar. He announced that it would be sold and the proceeds given to the poor. It was a thunderous gesture. He was declaring that the Church’s true glory is not gold, but charity. He never wore it again, and no pope has been crowned since.
This act challenges us deeply. What “crowns” are we wearing? What status symbols or old grudges are we holding onto that we need to lay on the altar for the sake of love? Paul VI showed us that the Church must strip herself of vanity to clothe the naked.
Spiritual Highlights
- Fact: The tiara was purchased by Catholics in the USA and is now displayed in the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., as a symbol of charity.
- Scripture: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)
Top 6. St. Pius X: The Poor Country Priest
Giuseppe Sarto was a man of the people. Born to a poor family, he never lost the heart of a country curate. When he was elected Pope Pius X, he felt the burden heavily. Unlike many before him, he hated the protocols of the court. He would often sneak out of the Vatican to visit the sick or invite simple priests to dine with him, breaking the rigid custom that the pope always ate alone.
His will is one of the most beautiful documents in papal history. He wrote, “I was born poor, I have lived poor, I wish to die poor.” He refused to enrich his family, leaving his sisters only enough money to live quietly. His papacy was marked by a desire to “restore all things in Christ,” making the Eucharist available to children and encouraging frequent communion.
St. Pius X teaches us that our background—no matter how humble—is not a hindrance to God, but a gift. He kept his feet on the ground even while his heart was in heaven.
Spiritual Highlights
- Legacy: Known as the “Pope of the Eucharist.”
- Motto: Instaurare Omnia in Christo (To restore all things in Christ).
Top 5. Blessed John Paul II: The Servant of Suffering (and John Paul I)
Correction: While John Paul II was a giant, for this specific reflection on “humility and service” in a quiet, pastoral sense, we turn our eyes to his immediate predecessor, **Blessed John Paul I**, “The Smiling Pope.”
Albino Luciani reigned for only 33 days in 1978, but his impact was the gentle breeze of the Spirit. When elected, he wished to refuse the traditional coronation entirely (which he did, replacing it with a simple inauguration mass). He chose the episcopal motto Humilitas (Humility). He famously tried to avoid using the sedia gestatoria (the portable papal throne), wishing to walk among the people, though he was eventually convinced to use it so the crowds could see him.
His smile captured the world because it was devoid of ego. He spoke of God as “Father” and even “Mother,” emphasizing the tenderness of the Divine. In his brief time, he reminded the world that the Vicar of Christ is a man who must smile with the joy of the Gospel. He shows us that sometimes, a smile is the greatest act of service we can offer a weary world.
Spiritual Highlights
- Title: The Smiling Pope (Il Papa del Sorriso).
- Scripture: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.” (Matthew 11:29)
Top 4. St. John XXIII: “I am Joseph, Your Brother”
Angelo Roncalli was expected to be a “caretaker pope,” an old man to keep the seat warm. Instead, he opened the windows of the Church to let the Holy Spirit in. But his greatness was found in his simplicity. He was a man who laughed at himself and refused to take himself too seriously.
One of his first acts was to visit the Regina Coeli prison in Rome. He did not go to judge; he went to love. He told the prisoners, “You could not come to me, so I came to you.” In a moving moment, he revealed his own humanity, telling them of his cousin who had been arrested for poaching. He said to them, “I am Joseph, your brother.”
St. John XXIII broke down the walls between the “holy” and the “sinner.” He teaches us that true holiness is approachable. If people are afraid to approach us, we are not reflecting Jesus, who ate with tax collectors.
Spiritual Highlights
- Event: Calling the Second Vatican Council.
- Quote: “See everything, overlook a great deal, correct a little.”
Top 3. Pope Francis: The Washer of Feet
From the moment he stepped onto the balcony and bowed down, asking the people to pray for him before he blessed them, Pope Francis has rewritten the script of papal protocol. He chose the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the poor man who loved the poor, signaling a return to the essentials of the Gospel.
His most poignant acts of service occur on Holy Thursday. Breaking with the tradition of washing the feet of priests in a basilica, Francis has gone to prisons, refugee centers, and hospitals. He has washed the feet of women, Muslims, and the incarcerated. In this tender, intimate act, he shows us that the Eucharist cannot be separated from service to the marginalized.
Francis lives in the guest house (Santa Marta) rather than the Apostolic Palace, reminding us that isolation is a danger to the soul. He challenges us: do we wash the feet of those who can give us nothing in return?
Spiritual Highlights
- Symbol: His worn black shoes and silver (not gold) pectoral cross.
- Scripture: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)
Top 2. St. Gregory the Great: Servant of the Servants of God
In the late 6th century, Rome was crumbling. Floods, plague, and war had devastated the eternal city. Into this chaos stepped Gregory, a monk who never wanted to be pope. He is known as “The Great” not because he conquered lands, but because he fed the city.
Gregory organized the “patrimony of Peter” not to build palaces, but to feed the starving population of Rome. He personally waited on the poor at his table each day. But his most lasting contribution to humility was a title. When the Patriarch of Constantinople began calling himself the “Ecumenical (Universal) Patriarch,” Gregory rebuked him not by claiming a grander title, but by adopting the humblest one: Servus Servorum Dei, “Servant of the Servants of God.”
This title has been used by popes ever since, a permanent reminder etched into history by St. Gregory. He teaches us that the higher we rise in authority, the lower we must bow in service.
Spiritual Highlights
- Title: Servus Servorum Dei.
- Action: He sold church lands to buy ransom for prisoners of war.
Top 1. St. Peter the Apostle: The Rock Who Wept
We arrive at the source. Simon Peter. He was not a prince; he was a fisherman with calloused hands and a fiery temper. He is our number one not because he was perfect, but because his humility was forged in the fire of failure. He was the Rock who crumbled, denying his Lord three times.
Peter’s true service began after the Resurrection, on the shore of Galilee, when Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?” Peter had to swallow his pride and answer with a humble heart. Tradition tells us that when Peter faced martyrdom in Rome, he requested to be crucified upside down, deeming himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.
St. Peter is the ultimate model of pastoral humility because he knew he was a sinner saved by grace. He did not point to himself; he pointed to the One who has the words of eternal life. He reminds us that God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
Spiritual Highlights
- Epistle: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)
- Legacy: The first Vicar of Christ, who wore no crown but the dust of the road.
Reflect and Pray
As we close this list, friends, let us look at our own lives. We may not be popes, but we are all called to shepherd someone—a child, a friend, a colleague, or a stranger in need. The world tells us to climb ladders, to seek recognition, and to amass power. But these ten men, standing in the shoes of the Fisherman, point us to a different path.
They point us to the towel and the basin. They point us to the quiet dignity of a clear conscience. They point us to the Cross.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Shepherd of our souls, grant us the grace to serve rather than to be served. Strip us of our vanity, clothe us in Your humility, and help us to wash the feet of our brothers and sisters with the same love You showed in the Upper Room. Amen.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
