Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI has granted his first television interview, speaking with Polish television about his friendship with the late Pope John Paul II, Vatican Radio reported Thursday.
The interview will be broadcast in Poland on Oct. 16, the anniversary of the Polish-born John Paul's 1978 election as pontiff.
The Rev. Andrea Majewski, the Jesuit in charge of Catholic programming for Polish public television, conducted the 15-minute interview Tuesday at the pope's summer residence at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome.
He told Vatican Radio the interview focused on John Paul's personality and that Benedict spoke in Italian, "the common language of the popes."
"The pope remembered very dearly his predecessor, his contacts with him and above all else his friendship with him," Majewski said.
The pope also reaffirmed his desire to visit Poland next year, Majewski quoted the pope as saying.
Benedict has granted one other interview since becoming pope - to Vatican Radio, just before leaving for World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, last month.