Bob Dylan and Pope Leo XIV met in a private Vatican audience on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and the photos are already making the rounds. The Vatican shared images of the handshake on Instagram, showing the music legend and the first American-born pope together in Rome. According to Vatican News, the meeting was brief, full of greetings and a few lighthearted exchanges between the two Americans.
The gift exchange might be the best part. Pope Leo XIV gave Dylan a rosary, and Dylan presented the pope with a copy of his memoir,“Chronicles: Volume One.”That’s a spiritual keepsake traded for a book of stories, which feels exactly right for a songwriter who has spent six decades telling them.
The timing made it all the more eventful. Dylan performs at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome on Thursday as part of his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, so he flew in, met the pope, and now has a show to play. Between Dylan’s 10 Grammy wins and the pope’s historic place as the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, this meeting gave fans plenty to talk about. Which version of the story do you like better: the rosary or the memoir?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.