Pope Leo XIV meets Bob Dylan at the Vatican, exchanges gifts. What did they give each other?

A meeting between two of the celebrated figures from two separate worlds took place at the Vatican on November 4. Pope Leo XIV met American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan at the Apostolic Palace, where the two exchanged gifts during a brief interaction.

Bob Dylan, one of the greatest songwriters of all time and a Nobel laureate, is currently touring Italy. So, what did he receive from Pope Leo XIV? As per Vatican news, the American singer-songwriter was gifted a rosary. In return, Bob Dylan, who was dressed casually in a black hooded sweatshirt with a dress shirt and loose tie underneath, gifted him with a copy of his autobiography, Chronicles: Volumne One.

Their meeting comes months after the Pope referenced Dylan's lyrics in the preface to a book on disarmament published by the Vatican Publishing House (LEV). Titled Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift, the book features a reference to Dylan's 1963 composition Go Away You Bomb. Written during the height of Cold War tensions, the song is an unusual entry in Dylan's musical catalogue. It was never officially recorded or released on an album. According to Vatican News, its original manuscript remained unpublished until it was discovered in 2013.

About Bob Dylan and his tour

Robert Allan Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan, has been a pop-culture icon over his 69-year-career. His sophistticated techniques in the early 60s which he infused with classic literature and poetry, made him more appealing to the crowd. He became relevant for incorporating socio-political and philosophical themes. The musician is in Italy for his autumn leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. He is scheduled to perform at Rome's Palazzo dello Sport on Thursday, November 5. His tour itinerary also includes concerts in Milan and Bologna.

Bob Dylan's earlier meeting with Pope John Paul II

This was not Dylan's first meeting with a Pope. In 1997, the musician performed at the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna before Pope John Paul II and an audience of approximately 300,000 young people.

According to Vatican News, Dylan performed three popular songs, including Knockin' on Heaven's Door. He then removed his cowboy hat, walked up the steps to the papal stage and exchanged a handshake and a few words with the Pope.