Bob Dylan gifts Pope Leo XIV his autobiography ahead of Rome concert
Synopsis
Bob Dylan, 85, stepped away from his Rome concert tour to hand Pope Leo XIV a copy of his autobiography at the Apostolic Palace — a meeting the Pope's circle called historic. It echoes Dylan's 1997 Bologna performance for Pope John Paul II, and deepens a relationship rooted in the Pope's own citation of a rare, never-recorded 1963 Dylan track.
Key Takeaways
Bob Dylan , 85, met Pope Leo XIV privately at the Apostolic Palace in Rome on 6 November 2026 .
Dylan presented the Pope with a copy of his autobiography, 'Chronicles: Volume One' .
The meeting was facilitated by the same Vatican official who arranged the Pope's earlier encounter with Patti Smith on 31 July 2026 .
Pope Leo XIV had previously quoted Dylan's unreleased 1963 track 'Go Away You Bomb' in a book preface — lyrics only made public after their 2013 auction.
Dylan is in Rome for his Rough and Rowdy Ways concert at the Palazzo dello Sport .
Dylan previously performed for Pope John Paul II and 300,000 people at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna in 1997 .
Music legend Bob Dylan, 85, paid a private visit to Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Rome ahead of his Rough and Rowdy Ways concert at the Palazzo dello Sport on Thursday, 6 November 2026. During the brief meeting, Dylan presented the Pope with a signed copy of his autobiography, 'Chronicles: Volume One', in what observers described as a moment carrying a real sense of history.
The Meeting at the Apostolic Palace
Dylan and Pope Leo XIV posed for photographs inside the Apostolic Palace, with the Pope's all-white vestments contrasting visually with Dylan's characteristic black ensemble. The encounter was reportedly brief but warm, arranged with the assistance of a Vatican official who had previously facilitated the Pope's meeting with fellow rock icon Patti Smith earlier in 2026.
A participant at the meeting shared a picture on X (formerly Twitter), writing: 'Today, I had the privilege and the joy of accompanying #BobDylan to meet Pope Leo, together with Andrea Monda. It was hard not to feel the emotion of being part of an encounter that had a real sense of history about it, with the feeling that, at every step through the Apostolic Palace, absolutely anything could happen. Carlo Feltrinelli and Susan Pullman were also with us.' The same person noted that the Pope's earlier meeting with Patti Smith on 31 July would be covered in L'Osservatore Romano.
Pope Leo XIV's Known Connection to Dylan
The meeting is not without deeper context. Pope Leo XIV had previously cited Dylan in the preface to a book titled 'Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift', quoting from an unreleased track called 'Go Away You Bomb'. The song was written by Dylan during the Cold War in 1963 but was never recorded. Its lyrics were only discovered in 2013, when they were put up for auction and seen publicly for the first time, underscoring the Pope's evident familiarity with Dylan's deeper, lesser-known catalogue.
Not Dylan's First Papal Encounter
This is not the first time the 'Like a Rolling Stone' singer has had a connection with the Catholic Church's highest office. In 1997, Dylan was invited to perform before Pope John Paul II and approximately 300,000 young people at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna. That performance remains one of the more remarkable intersections of popular music and the Vatican in modern history.
Rome Concert and What Comes Next
Dylan's Rome engagement at the Palazzo dello Sport is part of his ongoing Rough and Rowdy Ways world tour, named after his 2020 studio album. The tour has drawn considerable attention globally, given Dylan's age and his continued determination to perform live. His Rome stop — bookended by this historic Vatican visit — is expected to be one of the tour's most-watched dates.
Point of View
But the substance is more interesting: Pope Leo XIV is not a passive celebrity-greeter — he quoted a never-recorded, auction-discovered Dylan lyric in a book preface before this meeting ever happened. That prior intellectual engagement turns a photo-op into something closer to a genuine dialogue between two figures shaped by the same Cold War anxieties. What is worth noting is how the Vatican has quietly cultivated a pattern of engaging rock music's moral voices — from Dylan to Patti Smith — suggesting a deliberate cultural outreach strategy, not coincidence. For Dylan, now 85 and still on tour, the Rome visit reinforces the singular position he occupies: the only rock artist whose work gets cited in papal literature.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Bob Dylan meet Pope Leo XIV in Rome?
Bob Dylan met Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Rome on 6 November 2026, during a break from his Rough and Rowdy Ways concert tour. Dylan gifted the Pope a copy of his autobiography 'Chronicles: Volume One,' and the meeting was arranged by a Vatican official who had previously organised the Pope's encounter with Patti Smith.
What did Bob Dylan give Pope Leo XIV?
Dylan presented Pope Leo XIV with a copy of his autobiography, 'Chronicles: Volume One.' The two posed for photographs, with the Pope in white and Dylan in black.
Has Bob Dylan met a Pope before?
Yes. In 1997, Dylan performed before Pope John Paul II and approximately 300,000 young people at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna, Italy. His latest meeting with Pope Leo XIV marks his second known direct connection with a sitting Pope.
What is Pope Leo XIV's connection to Bob Dylan's music?
Pope Leo XIV quoted Dylan's unreleased 1963 track 'Go Away You Bomb' in the preface to a book titled 'Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift.' The song's lyrics, written during the Cold War, were never recorded and only came to public attention in 2013 when they were put up for auction.
What concert is Bob Dylan performing in Rome?
Dylan is performing at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome as part of his ongoing Rough and Rowdy Ways world tour, named after his 2020 studio album. The concert is scheduled for Thursday, 6 November 2026.
