Vatican City  - Pope Benedict XVI prepared Wednesday for a nine-day break in his summer residence in the hills south of Rome, ahead of his July 12 trip to Australia.

Before boarding a scheduled afternoon chopper flight to Castel Gandolfo, the 81-year-old pontiff presided the traditional mid-morning general audience at the Vatican.

Benedict referred to St Paul's teachings which, he said, contained a blend of the apostle's "Jewish, Greek, or Hellenistic" roots together with the influences of his status as a Roman citizen.

St Paul, whose birth 2,000 years ago the Roman Catholic Church celebrates this year, remains an example to "us Christians of the Third Millenium," Benedict said.

Paul was able to relate his teachings within the context of the then fledgling Christian faith and the "complexities" of the society of Ancient Rome "which is not that dissimilar" from our contemporary one, Benedict said.

Upon his return from Australia on July 21, Benedict will stay at Castel Gandolfo for a week, and then travel to the town of Bressanone, in Italy's northeastern Alto Adige province, bordering Austria.

There, at the foothills of the Alps, the German-born pontiff plans to stay at a seminary for a two-week vacation, but will continue delivering his Sunday Angelus blessings.

The Wednesday audiences are scheduled to resume on August 13 when he return to Castel Gandolfo. (dpa)