As the the world will see clearly this week, the United States knows how to make a big deal out of a papal visit. When Pope Francis arrives in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, it will begin days of fanfare everywhere from the White House to the United Nations.
Things were far more complicated when the first-ever papal visit to the U.S. took place almost exactly 50 years ago.
In 1965, Pope Paul VI planned a trip to New York in order to address the then-relatively-new United Nations and urge peace, especially as conflict between India and Pakistan was heating up.
The challenge for U.S. officials was that the nation didn’t have formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Many Americans believed that to do so would violate the separation of church and state and could give the Holy See undue influence. (Washington changed its mind in the early ’80s.) That lack for recognition meant that President Lyndon Johnson couldn’t treat Pope Paul VI like a visiting head of state. But nor could he ignore him. Snubbing the pope on his first ever visit to the U.S. would have been taken as an insult by Catholics the world over.
The solution? A clever bit of timing–or political ruse, depending on one’s perspective.
The White House said Johnson was already planning in New York for meetings. Given that, it would stand to reason that the two would find some to talk. Sure enough, the pope and the president met at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel to discuss how to make the world a more peaceful place. Other highlights of the papal visit included paying calls at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (where Pope Francis will attend Vespers on Thursday) and leading a Mass at Yankee Stadium (Pope Francis’ equivalent will be at Madison Square Garden).
And those aren’t the only ties between Pope Francis’ modern visit and Pope Paul’s inaugural trip: the dates for Paul VI’s visit to the United States were chosen, as TIME reported back then, to coincide with the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, on the idea that he was the namesake of San Francisco, which was where the United Nations was born. Of course, Saint Francis also inspired a certain someone who’ll be speaking at the U.N. in New York on Friday.
See Photos of Every Papal Visit to the U.S. in History
Pope Paul VI giving mass and sermon of peace at Yankee Stadium during historic visit. New York, 1965.Bill Eppridge—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesPresident Lyndon Johnson and Pope Paul VI, the first Roman Catholic Pontiff to journey to the Western hemisphere, bid farewell to each other following their hour-long conference at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, N.Y., Oct. 4, 1965.PhotoQuest—Getty ImagesPresident Carter with Pope John Paul ll during a visit to Washington DC, on Oct. 7, 1979. Bill Fitzpatrick/White House—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCardinal Humberto S. Mederios and first lady Rosalyn Carter greeted Pope John Paul II on his arrival at Logan Airport. Boston, Oct. 1, 1979.David L. Ryan—The Boston Globe/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II poses with American Bishop (and later Archibishop) John R. Quinn (center) during a visit to Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, Sept. 18, 1987. With them in the background are Italian Cardinal Secretary of State Agostino Casaroli (left), Italian Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States (and later Cardinal) Pio Laghi (second right), and Spanish Archbishop Substitute for General Affairs (and later Cardinal) Eduardo Martinez Somalo (right). Dirck Halstead—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II in front of a huge peace dove in a New Orleans' stadium prior to celebrating an open-air mass. Sept. 12, 1987.Jean Claude Delmas—AFP/Getty ImagesPresident Bill Clinton points out people in the crowd to Pope John Paul II on Aug. 12, 1993 in Denver.Luke Frazza—AFP/Getty ImagesFrank Rocha of Amarillo, Tex., weeps as he is blessed by Pope John Paul II at Denver's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Aug. 14, 1993.Pool—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II waves to the crowd upon his arrival at Camden Yards in Baltimore, for a mass on Oct. 8, 1995. Michel Gange—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II with members of the United Nations International School choir during his visit to the UN in New York, Oct. 5, 1995. Jon Levy—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II waves to the crowd as he arrives to say Mass in his bullet-proof "Popemobile" in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 27, 1999. Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II waves as President Bill Clinton applauds during an arrival ceremony on Jan. 26, 1999 at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Mo.Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty ImagesPope Benedict XVI reacts to the cheering crowd as he stands with George W. Bush upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, April 15, 2008 in Camp Springs, Md. Mark Wilson—Getty ImagesPope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate Mass, April 17, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images
