The new pope gave an insight into his choice of the name Francis in an audience with journalists Saturday -- his first meeting with the media since he was chosen as leader of the Roman Catholic Church three days ago.
Francis, who before he became pope was known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, said a fellow cardinal from Brazil had told him "don't forget the poor" as the votes stacked up in his favor.
This thought stuck in his mind, Francis said, as it became clear that he had won the two-thirds majority that meant he was the new pontiff.
"Right away, with regard to the poor, I thought of St. Francis of Assisi, then I thought of war," he told the assembled journalists. "Francis loved peace and that is how the name came to me."
He had also thought of St. Francis of Assisi's concern for the natural environment, he said, and how he was a "poor man, a simple man, as we would like a poor church, for the poor."
The journalists included Vatican communications staff and several Latin American reporters, mostly from Argentina.
Francis began by thanking them all for their efforts to share with the world the momentous events for the church in the days since Benedict announced his unexpected resignation.ass wisdom to young
He drew a parallel between the work of the media and that of the church, saying both worked to convey a message of "truth, beauty and goodness."
The media also had an important role to play in explaining the way the church works, he said, which is made more complicated by the role played by faith rather than more worldly or political concerns.
The new pope concluded the audience -- which did not include questions -- with a blessing for all the journalists present and their families.
He acknowledged that not all those present were Catholic, saying he gave them his blessing "knowing that you are of different religions, because all of you are children of God."
As a cardinal in Buenos Aires, Francis developed close relations with Argentina's Jewish community.
He wrote to the chief rabbi in Rome this week, saying he strongly hoped to "contribute to the progress of the relations that have existed between Jews and Catholics" since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, which redrew the church's relations with the modern world, "in a spirit of renewed collaboration."