Pope Benedict XVI set the tone for his pontificate yesterday in a homily delivered during a showpiece ceremony in a packed St Peter's Square, marking the official beginning of his Petrine ministry, write Paddy Agnew and Patsy McGarry in Rome.
Not for the first time in the past week, Pope Benedict looked and sounded more like "God's Pastor" than "God's Showman" during an inauguration ceremony in which he vigorously affirmed that "the Church is alive" and that the faithful are "experiencing the joy that the Risen Lord promised his followers".
An estimated 350,000 people joined 36 heads of state, the cardinals of the Catholic Church and representatives of the Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Pentecostal and other churches to celebrate the inauguration of the new pontificate.
In accordance with Vatican ritual, the ceremony began at the tomb of St Peter in the crypt of the basilica as the new pontiff emphasised his direct line of succession to the Apostle Peter.
In a "private" ceremony captured on Vatican TV, the sombre-faced Pope prayed at the tomb before making his way back up to the basilica.
From there, Pope Benedict followed the cardinals in solemn procession down the empty church and out on to the steps of St Peter's, where his appearance was greeted with a warm round of applause.
During his homily, the Pope reiterated the conciliatory tone used in his first homily as Pope when speaking to the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel last Wednesday.
Saying there was no need for him to present "a programme of governance", the Pope added: "My real programme is not to do my own will, not to pursue my own ideas, but to listen, together with the whole church, to the world and the will of the Lord, to be guided by Him, so that He himself will lead the church at this hour of our history."
On no less than 38 occasions during his homily the Pope was interrupted by applause.
When he finished speaking, the familiar football-style chant of "Benedetto, Benedetto" echoed from the square during two minutes of sustained applause.
At the end of the ceremony, the Pope went on his first popemobile tour, doing a circuit of St Peter's Square.
Smiling broadly and bestowing his papal blessing, the Pope looked a little reticent about the rapturous reception afforded him.
His reserved manner underlined the sensation that this is a Pope who "presents himself" but does not "give himself" to the people.
In a brief meeting with heads of state after his inauguration, the Pope met President Mary McAleese and praised NUI Maynooth, where he gave a talk about 10 years ago.
"I have been to Maynooth. It is a wonderful university," he said to Mrs McAleese.
He said he would "pray for the people of Ireland and I hope that they will pray for me".
During the weekend it emerged that Cardinal Desmond Connell has assured Pope Benedict of a warm welcome should he decide to visit Ireland.
Yesterday's inauguration ceremony was a more low-key affair than the momentous events of the last month.
Even if security was again tight, with the streets around St Peter's blocked off and with the airspace over Rome guarded by anti-aircraft missiles and a Nato aircraft, the atmosphere was relatively calm on the ground.
There was none of the breath-stopping human crush that marked the day of the late Pope's funeral, not to mention the days when hundreds of thousands queued to file past the body of John Paul II in the basilica.
Then too the galaxy of VIPs and world leaders that attended the funeral of John Paul II on April 8th was conspicuous by its absence yesterday.
Pope Benedict will meet pilgrims from his native Germany today, as well as a delegation of Christian leaders including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.