Peasants, Plebs and Snobbery

I found this comment on a blog, it describes Pope John XXIII, I suspect it was one of those "that just got through", so in this instance I don't blame the magazine itself, but I was horrified by the snobbery of this particular reader:-

He was an avuncular Italian peasant who delighted, as peasants do, in such fripperies. Fortunately there fewer such people in positions of power in today's Church.

It reminded me of the alleged "plebs" remarks of the Chief Whip and also of those stories of a certain rather prominent Dominican Cardinal who when not holding a balloon at Mass or discussing theology seems most happily at home talking about his own family coat armour, quarterings.
Wise Mgr Gilbey once speaking about a particular group of Catholics who were into these things as "doing so very little good with the greatest possible amount of fuss".
It strikes me that one of the things Sunday's Gospel seemed to underline was leaving these baubles behind. I simply can't understand why really very good and holy clergy and laymen are into these things but then I suppose maybe they can't understand my fascination for lute music of the English Golden Age but then that doesn't seem to want to make distinction between people.