A lightning visit to the Vatican: Dylan dressed in black was received by the white-robed Pope
Quick Look
- Legendary American singer Bob Dylan visited the Vatican and received a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.
- The two parties had a brief conversation, the Pope presented rosary beads, and Bob Dylan presented his autobiography in return.
- The meeting was arranged with the help of Jesuit Father Xi Andong.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Pope Leo XIV was a fan of Bob Dylan and quoted his songs in the preface of a book published in July this year. Bob Dylan previously sang for Pope John Paul II in Bologna in 1997.
(Central News Agency, Vatican General Foreign News Report on the 4th) Legendary American singer Bob Dylan visited the Vatican today and received a private audience with Pope Leo XIV. Bob Dylan, wearing a black hooded top, jacket and black gloves, met with the Pope, who was dressed in white robes and a white round cap.
Agence France-Presse reported that Bob Dylan’s real name was Robert. Allen. Robert Allen Zimmerman is currently touring Italy.
Vatican News reported that the meeting was quite brief, and the two only exchanged brief greetings and relaxed conversations. The 71-year-old Pope gave Bob Dylan a rosary, and the 85-year-old Bob Dylan responded with an autobiography.
Leo XIV, the first American pope from Chicago, was a fan of Bob Dylan. The Pope quoted Bob Dylan's 1963 anti-nuclear protest song Go Away You Bomb in the preface to a book published in July this year.
Reuters reported that Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, a Vatican official known for helping the Holy See build relationships with cultural figures, said on Instagram that he helped arrange the meeting.
He said: "It is difficult not to be excited to be part of this truly historic meeting. Every step of the way through the Apostolic Palace makes one feel that anything can happen!"
This is not the first time Bob Dillon has met with the Pope. In 1997, he sang at a youth prayer vigil in Bologna, Italy, hosted by Pope John Paul II.
