Washington ? On Oct. 6, 1979, Pope John Paul II emerged from a car’s sunroof, waving and smiling to thousands of cheering onlookers who lined Washington streets and even climbed trees for a glimpse of the Roman Catholic leader.

Things will be different when Pope Benedict XVI arrives next month.

The public will have fewer opportunities to see Benedict because of security concerns and a tighter schedule. Benedict has just one public event in the nation’s capital – a Mass at the Nationals stadium on April 17 – and will travel through the city in a closed car or in the popemobile, a specially designed and secure vehicle used by the pontiff during public appearances.

“His visit reflects the times we live in,” said Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington. “There has to be a little higher level of security, unfortunately.”

Benedict’s lower profile also will be due to the fact that he is a quieter man than John Paul, and at 80 is more than two decades older than his predecessor was when he came to town – the last visit by a pope to Washington.

Still, many are joining the long list of people clamoring for tickets to the 10 a.m. Mass at the stadium, which seats about 46,000.

Monsignor Ronald Jameson, rector of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in northwest Washington and liturgy director for the Washington archdiocese during John Paul’s visit, said the demand for tickets is a major difference between Benedict’s upcoming visit and John Paul’s D.C. trip, which included a Mass on the National Mall that was generally open to the public and drew some 175,000 people.

He recalled that sunny afternoon in October 1979, when John Paul greeted crowds outside St. Matthew’s. Faces lit up, and people cheered spontaneously. “There was such an excitement, like there was this star that was coming to D.C.,” Jameson said.

Jameson said that many people, like himself, would like to have the same sort of opportunity to see Benedict as they did with his predecessor.