Harivilas das: The devotees were amazed by the discussion because it showed that here is the top man in the Catholic Church, and he’s an intellectual. He’s not only a performer of ritual, but he’s a top intellectual. And in the presence of Prabhupada, he was not able to discuss significantly the topic of compassion and nonviolence. He was unable to comprehend the subject, and it made me realize why Srila Prabhupada agreed to meet such people. It was more for the devotees than any other reason because we were able to see that although these were big people in French society or in society, they actually were very small in comparison with a pure devotee of Krishna and that was important for the devotees to see.
Reference: Remembrances by Yadubara Das- Folio Vedabase