Pope Leo welcomes Bob Dylan to Vatican during Italian tour

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 15:10 · Archive

Bob Dylan visited Pope Leo at the Vatican on Wednesday during a break in his Italian tour.

Bob Dylan, 85, met Pope Leo at his official residence, the Apostolic Palace, in Rome on Wednesday during a break in his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. The Vatican News described the encounter as brief, consisting of greetings and light-hearted exchanges.

The two men exchanged gifts. Leo presented Dylan with a rosary, while Dylan gave the Pope a copy of his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One, first published in 2004. Dylan wore an all-black outfit including a hoodie worn with the hood up. Leo, 71, wore his white vestments.

Both men are American and from the Midwest. Two Vatican officials accompanied Dylan: the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, a Vatican culture ministry official, and Andrea Monda, editor of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Spadaro said Dylan had requested the meeting and the two spoke in private.

Pope Leo had previously referenced Dylan's work in his own writing. Earlier in 2026, Leo quoted Dylan's unreleased 1963 anti-nuclear song 'Go Away You Bomb' in the preface to his book Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift. The line quoted was: 'I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned, an' man-handled.' The song was written during the Cold War and remained unpublished until 2013, when the typewritten lyrics were discovered and auctioned.

In an essay in L'Osservatore Romano, Spadaro noted that the former Robert Prevost, born in Chicago in 1955, grew up familiar with Dylan's music. He also observed that Dylan was well acquainted with St. Augustine of Hippo, who inspired Leo's spirituality and religious order. Dylan wrote 'I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine' for his 1967 album John Wesley Harding.

Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. He was in Rome as part of his Italian tour, with a scheduled performance at the Palazzo dello Sport on Thursday.

This was not Dylan's first papal encounter. In 1997, he performed for Pope John Paul II before an estimated 300,000 young people at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna. Dylan played four songs including 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door', and reportedly climbed the stage mid-set to greet John Paul with a handshake. The then-Pope quoted Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind' in his sermon to the crowd.

How it is being reported

• The gifts Pope Leo and Bob Dylan exchanged during their 'brief' meeting at VaticanLeo hosted the American singer-songwriter at his official residence on WednesdayIndependent World · 5 Nov, 13:59
• Bob Dylan presents Pope with copy of autobiography during meeting at VaticanLeo hosted the singer-songwriter at his official residence, the Apostolic Palace, on Wednesday.Evening Standard · 5 Nov, 10:34
• Bob Dylan comes knockin' on pope's door as Leo welcomes legend to VaticanThe American singer-songwriter and poet visited with the American pope at the Vatican during a break between concert dates in Italy. The Vatican said the encounter was brief.NPR · 5 Nov, 07:02
• Pope Leo hosts Bob Dylan at official residence in RomePope Leo had previously quoted Dylan's work in the preface of a book warning against nuclear rearmament.BBC News · 5 Nov, 02:09
• Pope Leo welcomes Bob Dylan to Vatican while rock legend tours in ItalyThe Vatican said the encounter was brief, with Leo giving Dylan a rosary and Dylan presenting the pope with a copy of his autobiography, “Chronicles: Volume One.”New York Post · 4 Nov, 21:25

In this story: Bob Dylan · Pope Leo XIV · Vatican · Pope John Paul II · Rome · Bologna · Chicago

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log