Pope Meets the Press But Takes No Questions

By: (AP) Pope Benedict XVI showed off his language skills in a meeting with journalists Saturday but made clear he was not a carbon copy of his media-minded predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

The new pope, reading prepared remarks in four languages, thanked journalists for their coverage of the "historically important" events during the papal transition, urged them to remember their ethical responsibilities, and said he hoped to continue his predecessor's tradition of openness with the media.

The meeting with hundreds of journalists in a Vatican auditorium was Benedict's first public audience since his Tuesday election as head of the 1.1 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.

But the session only lasted about 15 minutes, and Benedict did not take questions or meet with individual reporters, in contrast to John Paul, who fielded questions for 40 minutes after reading a prepared speech.

Before the public session, the pope met privately with about a dozen news executives, mainly Italians but also the head of a Polish Catholic news agency, Vatican officials said.

"I hope to follow this dialogue with you, and I share, as Pope John Paul II observed concerning the faith, the development of social communications," the pontiff told more than 1,000 members of the media and pilgrims who assembled in the vast Paul VI auditorium used for weekly general audiences.

Recalling that John Paul had been "a great artisan" of an "open and sincere" dialogue with the media that was started by the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Benedict said the media in the modern age has the capacity to reach "the whole of humanity."

"Thanks to all of you, these historically important ecclesial events have had worldwide coverage. I know how hard you have worked, far away from your homes and families for long hours and in sometimes difficult conditions. I am aware of this dedication with which you have accomplished this demanding task," he said.

At the same time, he said, he could not ignore the need for "clear references of the ethical responsibilities" of the media, emphasizing the need for a "sincere search for the truth and the safeguarding of the centrality and the dignity of the person."

He read portions of his speech in Italian, English, French, and his native German, joking that "since we are in Rome," he had to return to Italian. Spanish reporters said they were surprised he said nothing in their language.

Vatican officials had said in recent days that Benedict likely would not take questions and that the meeting was more an audience to greet journalists than a press conference.

"You could say that thanks to your work for so many weeks, the attention of the whole world has been fixed on the basilica, on St. Peter's Square, and on the Apostolic Palace, inside of which my predecessor, the unforgettable John Paul II, serenely ended his earthly existence," the pope said.

Before his remarks, the pope chuckled during a nearly one-minute ovation.

The 78-year-old Benedict, known for his long role as the Vatican's guardian of the faith, is setting his own tone. He is quick to wave and bless crowds but has avoided wading into them.