"There isn't a dead pope this time, " said Mr. Gammarelli, whose shop near Rome's Pantheon displays three cassocks in the window made expressly for the next pope (in small, medium and large).

WSJ: March Madness, Vatican Style: Who'll Come Out of the Sweet Sistine?

"I think we've got someone who can navigate this ship through choppy waters, " Mr. Darakjy said moments after watching Pope Francis make his first public appearance at the window of St.

WSJ: Dancing, Chants Greet New Pontiff

"Pope Benedict took a few, tiny, window-dressing steps toward resolving the crisis, " said Kristine Ward, chairwoman of the National Survivor Advocates Coalition, a support group for victims of sexual abuse.

WSJ: Pope Benedict XVI to Resign

The official Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, has stated that the Pope will not agree to any meeting that takes place in the full glare of media publicity, and that anyway the Pope's crowded programme during his 26-hour visit to Malta is unlikely to leave a window for such an opportunity.

BBC: Disappointment as Pope speaks in generalities

The new pontiff gave his Angelus, or noon blessing, from the papal apartment window, speaking to more than 200, 000 worshippers in the square four days after his election as pope.

CNN: March 17, 2013 -- Updated 1658 GMT (0058 HKT)