A sinner, yes; but to say that all believers are equally holy does not strike me as biblical. At any rate, what captivated the Mexicans in this case is a twofold holiness (IMHO):
First, the holiness of his office as the Vicar of Christ - he is, after all, the Successor of St. Peter (this is a historical fact, and not just a theological reality);
Second, his personal holiness. Jesus exhorts us to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy and St. Paul makes it clear that this is the will of God, our sanctification. While it is the will of God that all be saved, that all be holy, unfortunately few are those who correspond to that call.
Thank you for writing with "in love and respect". There are already more than enough hotheads blogging nowadays ;-)
May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Since he is the successor of Peter, on account of his Office, I would not be surprised if some are healed by the mere passing of his shadow. As regards his personal holiness, none of us can really know that, except by the fruits of his labor. I thought it was great that he prepped the Cubans with his remarks about how communism has got to go, just days before stepping foot there! That is a pastor of souls!