Bob Dylan was granted a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on November 4, according to Pitchfork. The encounter continues a series of cultural meetings at the Holy See following a visit by Patti Smith in July.
The legendary singer-songwriter wore a black hoodie pulled up over a black baseball cap during the meeting. Photographs released by the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication captured Dylan at the gathering, with one image showing him signing a book for the pontiff after taking off a single glove.
Dylan previously engaged with Catholic leadership in 1997 when he performed at a concert honoring Pope John Paul II. Though raised Jewish, Dylan became an evangelical Christian in 1978 and released several Christian-themed albums during that era of his career.
Pope Leo XIV has previously displayed familiarity with Dylan's extensive music catalog. The pontiff quoted the rare 1963 Dylan lyric Go Away You Bomb in the preface of his speech anthology collection titled Unarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift.