![Le Pape Paul VI A New York Le Pape Paul VI A New York](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pope1.jpeg?quality=85&w=2400)
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 Pope Paul VI giving mass and sermon of peace at Yankee Stadium during historic visit. New York, 1965.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-01.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Lyndon Johnson & Pope Paul VI President 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, New York, October 4, 1965. The Pope was in New York to address the United Nations.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-02.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II & President Carter President Carter with Pope John Paul ll during visit to Washington DC, October 7, 1979.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-03.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![From The Archives: Pope John Paul II Visits Boston Cardinal Humberto S. Mederios and first lady Rosalyn Carter greeted Pope John Paul II on his arrival at Logan Airport. Boston, October 1, 1979.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-04.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II Visits San Francisco Pope John Paul II (born poses with American Bishop (and later Archibishop) John R. Quinn (center) during a visit to Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, September 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).](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-05.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II smiles 12 September 1987 in fron Pope John Paul II in front of a huge peace dove in a New Orleans' stadium prior to celebrate an open-air mass. September 12, 1987.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-06.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![US President Bill Clinton points out peo US President Bill Clinton points out people in the crowd to Pope John Paul II on August, 12, 1993 in Denver, Colorado.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-07.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Frank Rocha of Amarillo, Texas, weeps as he is ble Frank Rocha of Amarillo, Texas, weeps as he is blessed by Pope John Paul II at Denver's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on August 14, 1993. Rocha was among 300 delegates from the World Youth Day who attended mass with the Pope.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-08.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II waves to the faithful upon his a Pope John Paul II waves to the faithful upon his arrival to Camden Yards, Baltimore, for a mass on October 8, 1995.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-09.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II poses with members of the United Pope John Paul II with members of the United Nations International School choir during his visit to the UN in New York, October 5, 1995.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-10.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II waves to the crowd as he arrives Pope John Paul II waves to the crowd as he arrives to say Mass in his bullet-proof "Popemobile" in St. Louis, January 27, 1999.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-11.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope John Paul II waves to well wishers as US Pres Pope John Paul II waves as US President Bill Clinton applauds during an arrival ceremony on January 26, 1999 at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-12.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope Benedict XVI Arrives In The U.S Pope Benedict XVI reacts to the cheering crowd as he stands with U.S. President George W. Bush upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, April 15, 2008 in Camp Springs, Maryland.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-13.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Pope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate M Pope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate Mass April 17, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150916-popes-us-14.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com