Bob Dylan Visits Pope Leo XIV At Apostolic Palace, Gifts Autobiography In Special Meeting
Music legend Bob Dylan met Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on Wednesday, during his ongoing tour of Italy. The brief meeting brought together two prominent American figures, both originally from the US Midwest. According to Vatican News, the 85-year-old singer-songwriter presented the Pope with a copy of his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One, while Leo gifted him a rosary. Dylan's visit came a day before his scheduled performance in Rome. The meeting also drew attention to the Pope's earlier reference to one of Dylan's lesser-known songs in a book about peace and disarmament.
Bob Dylan Meets Pope Leo XIV At Vatican
Dylan arrived at the Apostolic Palace in an almost entirely black outfit, wearing a hoodie with its hood pulled up and gloves, and carrying an umbrella. His appearance contrasted with Pope Leo XIV's traditional white vestments. According to Vatican News, the interaction was brief, but the two exchanged gifts. The Pope presented Dylan with a rosary, while the musician handed him a copy of his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One.
The meeting took place ahead of Dylan's Thursday concert at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, part of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, which includes several performances across Italy.
Why Pope Leo XIV Previously Quoted Bob Dylan's Song
The meeting also highlighted the Pope's interest in Dylan's music. In the preface to his book Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift, Leo XIV referenced the singer's unreleased anti-nuclear composition, Go Away You Bomb. The book quoted the line, "I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned, an' man-handled," as part of its message against rearmament.
Dylan wrote the song in 1963, during the Cold War, but never recorded it. According to The New York Times, its typewritten lyrics remained unpublished until they were discovered in 2013 and subsequently put up for auction.
Bob Dylan's Previous Meeting With A Pope
This was not Dylan's first encounter with a Pope. In 1997, he performed before Pope John Paul II and an audience of approximately 300,000 young people at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna, Italy.
Dylan performed four songs, including Knockin' on Heaven's Door. During the performance, he reportedly walked towards the stage to greet John Paul II with a handshake and exchange a few words. The then-Pope also referred to Dylan's famous song Blowin' in the Wind during his sermon to the gathering.
Dylan's latest Vatican visit marks another meeting between the celebrated musician and the papacy, nearly three decades after his performance before Pope John Paul II.
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