Bob Dylan meets Pope Leo in Rome
Pope Leo hosts Bob Dylan at official residence in Rome
Thursday, 5 November 2026
Photo by Ágatha Depiné on Unsplash
Warm-up
- Have you ever visited a famous church or palace? Where?
- Which songs by Bob Dylan or other classic artists do you know?
- What gift would you bring to a formal visit? Why?
Vocabulary
- host
- to receive and welcome a guest at your place
- residence
- the official home of an important person
- tour
- a series of performances in different places
- brief
- short in time
- gift
- something you give to someone, a present
- performance
- a music, dance or play shown to an audience
- peace
- a time without war or violence
- lyrics
- the words of a song
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishBob Dylan, 85, met Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City during his Italian tour. The pope hosted the singer at his official residence, and the meeting was brief. Dylan was wearing a black hoodie and gloves, while the pope was in white.
They exchanged gifts. Leo gave Dylan a rosary, and Dylan gave him his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One. Dylan was due to give a performance at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome the next day, one of several stops on his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.
Leo has quoted Dylan’s work before. In a book about peace, he used lines from an unreleased anti‑nuclear song, Go Away You Bomb, written in 1963. The typed lyrics were later found in 2013 and put up for auction. It was Dylan’s second meeting with a pope; in 1997 he performed for Pope John Paul II and a huge crowd in Bologna.
Comprehension
- Where did Bob Dylan meet Pope Leo XIV?
- What gifts did the two men exchange?
- What was Dylan going to do the next day in Rome?
- Which unreleased Dylan song did Leo quote in his book?
- When had Dylan met a pope before this visit?
Grammar focus
Past continuous
Use was/were + verb-ing to show an action in progress at a time in the past, often with when/while for background. (Example 2 constructed.)
- Dylan was wearing a black hoodie and gloves.
- At the palace, they were exchanging gifts.
Practise this grammar: Narrative tenses (B2)
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the past continuous form of the verb.
- When the meeting began, assistants (prepare) ___ tea.
- While Dylan (meet) ___ Pope Leo, photographers waited.
- At the Palazzo, crews (set) ___ up the stage while fans arrived.
- While visitors queued at the Vatican, a guard (watch) ___ the door.
- During the tour, buses (travel) ___ between cities.
Discussion
- Why do famous artists sometimes meet world leaders?
- What makes a good gift for a formal visit? Explain your choice.
- Do song lyrics help people think about peace? Why or why not?
- Would you like to visit Vatican City? Why or why not?
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