Like London buses, two Church Leaders have arrived at the same time – and both have sprung some surprises.

Who would have thought that the new Pope would be a cardinal from Argentina who packs his own case, pays his own hotel bill, and takes the bus?

And who would have expected the new Archbishop of Canterbury to be a former oil-industry financier, who gave up a six-figure salary to become a priest and has only four months’ experience as a bishop?

But this is just the beginning. On Thursday, Pope Francis breaks with tradition and washes the feet, not of his cardinals, but of 12 young prisoners at a jail in Rome.

And Archbishop Welby has made one of his first actions, not to fill his diary with prestigious engagements, but to empty it of all but the bare essentials.

There is a humility and simplicity in both these men which are the authentic marks of Christ.

Only by following the example of Jesus and making his life their own, can Francis and Justin shoulder their great responsibilities without power-play or arrogance.

May their freshness of approach and imaginative acts of faith inspire us to look again at Jesus. His victory over death was, after all, the original Easter surprise! It is he, rather than any human leader, who can change our lives from within; forgiving our sins, mending our relationships, and enabling us to care for our neighbour and our world.

Andrew Knowles, Retired priest at St George’s Church, Kendal