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Pope Leo XIV welcomes Bob Dylan to the Vatican in a brief visit
Bob Dylan met Pope Leo XIV privately at the Vatican during a break in his Italian concert schedule. The brief encounter brought together the singer-songwriter, whose work the pope has cited in discussions of peace and nuclear weapons, and the Chicago-born pontiff, who grew up familiar with Dylan’s music.
Leo gave Dylan a rosary, while Dylan presented the pope with his autobiography, *Chronicles: Volume One*. In a 2026 book, Leo quoted a line from Dylan’s unpublished 1963 protest song “Go Away You Bomb” while warning against rearmament and nuclear weapons. Dylan, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, previously performed for Pope John Paul II in 1997; he was in Milan on Monday and scheduled to play in Rome on Thursday.
In short
- Bob Dylan had a brief private meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
- Leo gave Dylan a rosary; Dylan gave him his autobiography.
- The pope has cited Dylan’s protest lyrics on nuclear weapons.
Explained simply
The Vatican is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, led by the pope. Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago, grew up familiar with Bob Dylan’s music, and has referred to Dylan’s songs when discussing peace and nuclear weapons.
Dylan is an American singer-songwriter whose songs have often addressed social and political issues. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 and has performed for a pope before, appearing for John Paul II in 1997.
The meeting links a prominent musician with a religious leader who has spoken about the risks of nuclear weapons. Dylan’s work has therefore featured in public discussion of peace as well as in music.