My Visit with Pope Paul VI and John XXIII

              MY VISIT WITH POPE PAUL VI AND JOHN XXIII by BROOKS HAYS The unprecedented election of two Popes within a six weeks period in 1978, has stirred my memories of private audiences with Popes John XXIII and Paul VI, both of whom made a remarkable impact upon the Catholic Church, and the life of this world. The Religious News Service reported that I am the only Protestant layman to have had private audiences with both Popes, an honor to cherish. It might appear to be a bit presumptious [sic] for a Baptist layman to give his impressions of these great Popes, but there was some significance attaching to the private audiences due partly to the fact that I was for two years (1957-59) president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant body in the United States, Both invitations were prompted by a long-time Catholic friend, Monsignor Luigi Liqutti, who was a parish priest in Iowa during the thirties when I was involved with Federal programs for low-income farmers and we worked together on various projects. In 1963 Monsignor Ligutti was serving as the Pope's advisor on rural life.  My wife was invited to be with me for the audience with Pope John which took place on October 23, 1963.  We knew from the Pope's first words that we were in the presence of a warm-hearted fellow Christian.  He said, "Mr. Hays, I know you are a Baptist, and Baptists and Catholics haven't always loved each other as good Christians should, but I am Baptist too, I am John." And with that quick