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• In 1996, John Paul was visiting Central America and was due to meet with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu over breakfast before boarding a flight to Venezuela. Once on the plane, Navarro-Valls told reporters aboard that it was a fruitful meeting despite reports that she was hostile to the church.
• He went through a list of the topics they discussed.
• An hour into the flight, Navarro-Valls sent an aide to inform the press to forget Navarro's briefing because the meeting never took place.
• No explanation was ever given.
• Francis showed he could work a crowd in his own first meeting with the media.
• "Dear friends," he began. "I'm delighted ... to meet you."
• He then won the hearts of all of us journalists by referring to the grinding slog of covering a papal resignation followed by a papal conclave.
• "You worked hard, eh?" with a charming laugh. "You worked hard!"
• The audience went wild with applause.
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Francis turns on charm in first meeting with press
NICOLE WINFIELD,Associated Press
• VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis offered intimate insights Saturday into the moments after his papal election, telling an audience with the press that he was immediately inspired to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi because of his work for peace and the poor -- and was embraced by another cardinal amid applause inside the conclave.
• "Let me tell you a story," Francis said in a break from his prepared text during a special gathering for thousands of journalists, media workers and guests.
• Francis then described how was comforted by his friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, as it appeared the voting was going his way and it seemed "a bit dangerous" that he would reach the two-thirds necessary to be elected.
• "He hugged me. He kissed me. He said don't forget about the poor," Francis recalled. "And that's how in my heart came the name Francis of Assisi," who devoted his life to the poor, missionary outreach and caring for God's creation.
• He said some people have asked why he took the name since it also could suggest references to other figures including the co-founder of the pope's Jesuit order, Francis Xavier. But he said his intention came to his heart as an inspiration immediately after the election. St. Francis of Assisi, the pope said, was "the man of the poor. The man of peace. The man who loved and cared for creation -- and in this moment we don't have such a great relationship with the creator. The man who (Continued on page 41)
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