Well, no, I never got to see the Pope Paul 11, on October 7, 1979, but I was on the National Mall the same time he was, I heard him speak and I took the below photo as proof.
That same year, in July, there was a free Joan Baez concert at the Lincoln Memorial. I don't believe I saw her either. I wonder if the reason for my not liking crowds stems from the many events I attended in Washington, DC during my 20 years there.