NewsKTLA 5November 5, 2026Los Angeles County
Bob Dylan and Pope Leo XIV meet at the Vatican and exchange gifts
Photo: KTLA 5
American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan met briefly with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Wednesday during a break in his Italian concert tour. The two exchanged gifts, with the pope presenting a rosary and Dylan offering a copy of his autobiography.
Read the full story at KTLA 5Why It Matters
The encounter brings together two prominent cultural figures who share mutual references in their respective artistic and spiritual works.
Key Facts
- Bob Dylan visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Wednesday during a break in his Italy concert tour.
- The meeting was brief and private, lasting a few minutes.
- Pope Leo gave Dylan a rosary, and Dylan presented the pope with a copy of his autobiography, 'Chronicles: Volume One.'
- Pope Leo previously quoted lyrics from Dylan's unpublished 1963 protest song 'Go Away You Bomb' in his 2026 book.
- Two Vatican officials, the Rev. Antonio Spadaro and Andrea Monda, accompanied Dylan to the meeting.
- Pope Leo grew up familiar with Dylan's music and shares a spiritual connection to St. Augustine, whom Dylan has referenced in his music.
- This was not Dylan's first papal encounter; he previously performed for Pope John Paul II in 1997 in Bologna, Italy.
- Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman to a Jewish family in Minnesota, became a born-again Christian in 1979, and later described himself in a 2022 interview as a religious person who reads scriptures.
Who's Mentioned
PersonPope Leo XIV“American pope who met with Bob Dylan”PersonRobert Prevost“Pope Leo's birth name”otherJohn Wesley Harding“Bob Dylan's 1967 album”otherDisarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift“Pope Leo's 2026 book”otherGo Away You Bomb“Unpublished protest song written by Bob Dylan in 1963”locationMilan“City where Dylan played a concert”PersonRobert Zimmerman“Bob Dylan's birth name”locationVatican“Location of the meeting between Bob Dylan and Pope Leo XIV”locationRome“City where Dylan is playing a concert”locationWisconsin“U.S. state”otherI Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine“Song by Bob Dylan from his 1967 album”locationMadison“Wisconsin city”otherChronicles: Volume One“Bob Dylan's autobiography presented to the pope”PersonSt. Augustine of Hippo“Inspiration for Pope Leo's spirituality and Augustinian religious order”PersonAntonio Spadaro“Rev. and Vatican culture ministry official accompanying Dylan”otherNobel Prize for Literature“Prize won by Bob Dylan in 2016”otherGotta Serve Somebody“Song by Bob Dylan”locationBologna“City in Italy where Dylan played in 1997”PersonBob Dylan“American singer-songwriter and poet who visited the Vatican”otherTryin' to Get to Heaven“Song by Bob Dylan from 1997”otherSaved“Song by Bob Dylan”locationChicago“Birthplace of Pope Leo XIV”PersonPatti Smith“Musician who previously accompanied Spadaro to an audience with Leo”PersonScott Bauer“AP reporter contributing from Madison”PersonAndrea Monda“Editor of the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano”locationItaly“Country where Dylan has concert dates”OrganizationWall Street Journal“Publication that interviewed Dylan in 2022”locationMinnesota“U.S. state where Dylan was born”PersonPope John Paul II“Pope who Dylan previously played for in 1997”OrganizationL'Osservatore Romano“Vatican newspaper”