Pope Benedict carries on St. Peter's Square tradition

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI, embracing a cherished habit of his predecessor, appeared at his apartment's window on St. Peter's Square yesterday for the first time in his papacy to bless tens of thousands of faithful and curious.

Looking vigorous and confident, Benedict cut a figure sharply contrasting with John Paul's last time at the studio window on March 30, when the ailing pontiff appeared in silent suffering three days before his death.

The new pope, wearing a white cassock, sang a Latin prayer in a voice so strong it boomed across the square from the third-floor window of the Apostolic Palace.

About 50,000 pilgrims, tourists, and Romans flocked to the square, far more than the few thousand who turned out for most of John Paul's Sunday appearances.

But with many curious about Benedict's style as pontiff after 26 years of a very charismatic John Paul, yesterday's appearance was special, as the new pope noted.

''I address you, my very dear brothers and sisters, for the first time from this window that the beloved figure of my predecessor made familiar to countless people in the entire world," Benedict said.

Benedict moved into the apartment on Saturday. He had been residing in a Vatican City hotel since his election April 19 while the apartment was cleaned and spruced up for its new resident.

''From Sunday to Sunday, John Paul II, faithful to an appointment which became a cherished habit, accompanied for more than a quarter-century the history of the church and of the world, and we continue to feel him closer to us than ever," said Benedict.

Cheers from the crowd punctuated his remarks about John Paul, and Benedict pointed heavenward at one moment when speaking of his predecessor. He thanked ''all those who supported me in these days with prayer and all those who from every part of the world sent me messages and wishes."

John Paul's brief March 30 appearance at the window was the last time he was seen in public, before his death April 2.

Benedict, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had a reputation as a tough enforcer of church teaching when he was John Paul's head of doctrinal orthodoxy. But he offered a relaxed image as he stood at the window.

Many in the crowd were workers' groups planning to join a rally later in Rome for the May 1 Labor Day holiday, and Benedict ad-libbed that his name was Joseph, a reference to the church's patron of workers, St. Joseph.

Turning serious, he said he hoped that people would always be able to find work and that ''working conditions are ever more respectful" of human dignity.

Benedict offered Easter wishes to Orthodox Christians and indicated that he will pursue John Paul's goal of bridging the distance between Roman Catholics and Orthodox.

Like John Paul, Benedict used the window appearance to talk about problems on the world scene. After expressing dismay over ''wars, poverty, and diseases" in the world, Benedict singled out the African nation of Togo, racked by deadly violence after disputed elections. He said he was praying for harmony and peace for Togo's people.

After greeting pilgrims in Italian and Spanish, Benedict offered his blessing.

Italian Sabina Domenici listened to the pope with some German and Austrian friends. They were ''disappointed that he didn't speak in German, but right now he knows he needs to conquer the hearts of Romans," Domenici said.