Bob Dylan met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Nov. 4, and the two exchanged a rosary and a book. Here is what is confirmed.
Dylan, 85, was received at the Apostolic Palace in a black hooded sweatshirt. Vatican News described the meeting as brief, with greetings and a few lighthearted exchanges. The pope gave Dylan a rosary, and Dylan gave the pontiff a copy of his memoir, Chronicles: Volume One.
Why did Pope Leo XIV meet Bob Dylan? The Vatican has not given a single reason, but the pope has publicly used Dylan's words before. In July, Leo quoted Dylan's 1963 song "Go Away You Bomb" in the preface to a book of his speeches and reflections. The Cold War protest song was never officially released. Vatican official Rev. Antonio Spadaro, who also arranged the pope's meeting with Patti Smith earlier this year, set up the visit.
Is this Dylan's first time meeting a pope? No. In 1997, Dylan performed before then-Pope John Paul II and about 300,000 young people at a Eucharistic Congress in Bologna. The pope later quoted "Blowin' in the Wind" in his address.
What is Bob Dylan doing in Italy? He is on his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, with a Rome show at the Palazzo dello Sport the day after the audience.
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