UpdatedWed, November 4, 2026 at 11:46 PM UTC
Two cultural icons from vastly different worlds came together Wednesday as Pope Leo XIV welcomed Bob Dylan to the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.
The legendary singer and poet is currently on tour in Rome, creating the perfect opportunity for this unusual encounter.
Dylan, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt, exchanged greetings and a few lighthearted remarks with Pope Leo during their brief encounter. The pontiff gifted the music legend a rosary, while Dylan presented him with a copy of his autobiography, “Chronicles: Volume One.”
Pope Leo appears to be a true fan, having previously quoted Dylan’s lyrics in the preface to a July 2026 anthology titled “Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift.”
The pop star used Dylan’s lyrics to highlight concerns about nuclear weapons.
“I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned, an’ man-handled.” he wrote.
The verses cited in the book were pulled directly from Dylan’s 1963 protest song “Go Away You Bomb.”
The song was never officially recorded or released, though the manuscript was published after it was discovered in 2013.
The 85-year-old American singer-songwriter, poet, and Nobel laureate in literature will perform on Nov. 5 at the Palazzo dello Sport as part of the autumn leg of his “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour — a concert series that also includes stops in Milan and Bologna, and is notable for its strict ban on smartphone recording.
This is the second time that 85-year-old Dylan has been honored by a pontiff.
In 1997, Dylan was invited to perform at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna, before Pope John Paul II, alongside other artists.
The crowd of 300,000 was treated to a performance of some of his greatest hits, incuding “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Pope Leo continues to not just blur, but completely delete the lines between faith and culture, with his unique style and approach.(RELATED: Paris Jackson Files Legal Documents Seeking $600 Million Trust Fund Payout 17 Years After Michael Jackson’s Death)
He was also named to Vogue and Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List and never misses an opportunity to show love to his beloved sports team, the Chicago White Sox.
