Bob Dylan Meets Pope Leo XIV in a Private Vatican Visit

Bob Dylan met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican during a pause in the singer’s tour of Italy, according to the article. The private meeting took place on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the Apostolic Palace, where the 85-year-old musician was welcomed by the 71-year-old pontiff. Vatican News and other media reports described the encounter as brief but symbolic. The two men exchanged greetings and gifts: Pope Leo presented Dylan with a rosary, while Dylan gave the pontiff a copy of his autobiography, “Chronicles: Volume One.” Vatican Media photographs showed them shaking hands. Dylan wore a black hooded sweatshirt, while the Pope was dressed in his white cassock. The Vatican did not release details of their conversation. The meeting drew attention in part because Pope Leo has previously referred to Dylan’s songwriting in connection with peace and the dangers of destructive weapons. In July 2026, the pontiff quoted Dylan in the preface to “Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift,” a book published by the Vatican Publishing House and edited by Italian journalist Alessandro Banfi. The book considers peace and concerns about militarisation, nuclear weapons and international conflict. The article says the Pope cited Dylan’s 1963 anti-nuclear composition “Go Away You Bomb,” written during the Cold War. The song criticises weapons made and controlled by people, and its manuscript remained unpublished until its discovery in 2013. The article notes that the composition is among Dylan’s lesser-known works because it was never officially recorded or released on an album.