Pope Leo welcomes Bob Dylan to the Vatican's official residence
What's the story
Pope Leo XIV recently welcomed legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan to the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. The meeting took place during the 85-year-old artist's Italian tour stop on Wednesday (local time). Vatican News reported that the encounter between the two Midwesterners was brief, with both exchanging gifts: a rosary from Pope Leo and a copy of Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One.
Tour details
Dylan's Italian tour
The meeting came just before Dylan's scheduled performance in Rome at the Palazzo dello Sport on Thursday.
This concert is part of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, which has 3 Italian stops.
Dylan performed in Milan on Monday at Unipol Dome, and after his concert in Rome, he'll travel to Bologna for his show on Saturday.
Literary connection
Pope Leo previously quoted an unreleased Dylan song
Pope Leo has previously referenced Dylan in his own work.
In the preface to Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift, he quoted an unreleased anti-nuclear song by Dylan called Go Away You Bomb.
The song, written during the Cold War in 1963 but never recorded, was discovered and auctioned off in 2013.
Papal performances
When Dylan met Pope John Paul II
This was not the first time Dylan met a pope.
In 1997, he performed in front of Pope John Paul II and around 3,00,000 young people at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna.
During that performance, he played four tracks, including Knockin' on Heaven's Door, and reportedly greeted Paul with a handshake mid-set.