Pope Francis has notched a new first in his nearly nine-year-old papacy — an appearance as a TV talk show guest.

The Pope spoke about personal friendships as well as political issues while interviewed by Fabio Fazio, the host of a popular Italian talk show ‘Che Tempo Che Fa’.

The hour-long segment was broadcast on Rai, Italy’s state television network on 6 February.

Fazio interviewed the pontiff remotely, broadcasting from the show’s studio in Milan, while Francis remained at the Vatican.

Francis has given interviews to Italian and foreign media since his election in March 2013.

Topics varied from migration to music

In the interview, Francis expressed anew his insistence that migrants be welcomed and integrated in society.

Francis referred to the frequent standoffs experienced by humanitarian ships which rescue migrants in the Mediterranean from traffickers’ unseaworthy vessels but are denied for days port permission by countries rimming the sea.

“Each country must say how many migrants they can take,” he said, urging more solidarity among nations for those who are hoping for a better life somewhere in Europe. “This is an internal political problem.”

Fazio cited the tensions in Europe over whether Russia might invade its neighbour Ukraine.

Francis didn’t weigh in directly, replying only “war is always destruction.”

There were also lighter moments in the conversation. Asked about his recent visit to a record store in Rome, Francis said he likes classical music a lot, as well as tango numbers, like many of his fellow Argentines who hail from Buenos Aires.

Someone “who doesn’t dance the tango isn’t from Buenos Aires,” Francis quipped.

He recollected that as a young boy he thought about becoming a butcher because his family’s local butcher wore a belt with money moving around in the pockets.

Asked if he felt alone, or if he has friends, Francis said he needs friends and has them — they are “few but true.”

Francis usually ends his public remarks by saying “Don’t forget to pray for me.”

At the interview’s conclusion, he asked those who don’t pray, “at least send me good thoughts, I need the closeness of people.”