Pope wants 'poor Church for the poor'

In between bursts of applause from the audience, the 76-year-old said his papal name was inspired by St Francis of Assisi, who was "a man of poverty and a man of peace".

Pope Francis called for "a poor Church for the poor" as he addressed thousands of the world's press on Saturday, saying he chose his papal name because St Francis of Assisi shunned riches to help the destitute.

But the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first pope from Latin America, faced fresh accusations that he had failed to speak out about the brutalities committed by Argentina's military leaders during the "Dirty War".

The special audience with journalists in a Vatican auditorium was billed as another sign of the greater openness that has characterised the new pope's first days in office.

In between bursts of applause from the audience, the 76-year-old said his papal name was inspired by St Francis of Assisi, who was "a man of poverty and a man of peace".

"How I would like a poor Church for the poor!" he said.

Francis described the emotional moments immediately after his election in a conclave in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, offering a rare insight from a pope into deliberations which are supposed to remain secret.

He explained that when the cardinals elected him, he had been sitting next to Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, the archbishop emeritus of Sao Paulo.

"He hugged me and kissed me and told me not to forget the poor. And that word went in here," Francis said, pointing to his head.

"I immediately thought of Francis of Assisi," he said.

"Francis of Assisi for me is a man of poverty, a man of peace, a man who loved and protected Creation. Right now our relations with Creation are not going very well," he added.

Showing the informal style that is already characterising his reign, Francis departed from the script to tell the journalists with a smile: "You've worked, hey? You've worked!"

He was presented to members of the media and Vatican staff, including one woman who gave him a cup and straw to drink mate, the South American tea he is known to enjoy.

The Vatican said Francis would meet his predecessor Benedict XVI next Saturday at the papal summer residence Castel Gandolfo outside Rome where the now "pope emeritus" has been staying since his historic resignation last month.

Benedict, 85, became the first pope to resign for 700 years when he abruptly ended his eight-year reign saying his health was no longer robust enough for the job.

The two men know each other well and Bergoglio is believed to have been runner-up to the German in the 2005 election, but the Argentinian's open style contrasts sharply with that of his more academic predecessor.