I don't get it

Starting reading a book a few days ago that deals with the concept of a missional church. One of the aspects that is discussed is the need for re-thinking the hierarchies we have established in our churches over the past...well, the co-authors say that these have been developing over the past 1,700 years!

Anyway, I was checking out cnn.com and saw this picture and began thinking about what I'd read again. For me there is no better example of this hierarchy than in the Catholic church. We work in a Catholic country. Catholicism is a part of the cultural fabric in Poland...to be Polish is to be Catholic (for most Poles, anyway). But I just can't wrap my mind around all of the "why?" questions I have about the Catholic church.

With respect to this picture, I present a "why?" question. Why does it seem that the pope commands more respect and attention than Jesus Christ himself did? I almost don't even know where to go with this thought because I just sit shaking my head, befuddled. There is something wrong with this. This man, supposedly chosen by God as the continuance of Peter's apostolic line, in my opinion, should be living out the complete character of God in every respect.

I'm sure there are a million and four responses that people could give...respect for the office of pope, maybe he doesn't like all the attention...whatever. To me, it just doesn't add up when comparing "the office" to the concepts presented by Jesus. That's the standard by which we live, Scripture not tradition.