I was very impressed by this:

John Paul specified in his will that he wanted to be buried "in the bare earth, not a tomb" and that he wanted his tombstone simple, like that of Paul VI. His wishes were granted.

His burial plot is one of only a few dug in the ground in the central nave of the grottoes, the vast series of low-ceilinged chapels and alcoves under the basilica where popes over the centuries have been buried.

Most of the popes are ensconced in aboveground marble sarcophagi, some of them like that of Benedict XV and Pius XI elaborately carved in the images of the man inside.

John Paul's tomb, on the other hand, is spare. It sits in an arched alcove to the right of the main altar of the central nave.

Anyone in a position of power is continuously in danger of becoming corrupted. This is true for the night-shift manager at Starbucks as well as the President of the United States. Not only was Pope John Paul in a position of tremendous power, he held that position for a long 27 years. I find it very significant that his burial instructions were so modest.

It is very reminiscent of the attitude described so eloquently by Paul in Philippians 2:5-7:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

I'm not Catholic and never paid much attention to the Papacy, but I admit that I am very impressed by this final act of humility. The regal hats and robes create an environment where it is natural to think highly of oneself. It is apparent to me that this Pope resisted that temptation.