ROME – Rock legend Patti Smith recently had a memorable meeting with Pope Leo XIV, an encounter that left her both giddy and slightly speechless. The meeting took place on a Friday at the Apostolic Palace, where Smith greeted the pope with a soft “Hi” as she settled into a chair across from him.
Smith, who wore a crucifix necklace and had her trademark braids, has become a familiar face at the Vatican, largely due to her friendship with Rev. Antonio Spadaro, the undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture ministry. Although not a Catholic herself, Smith has expressed admiration for Pope Francis and his “gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity.”
Her connection to the papacy is not new; Smith wrote the song “Wave” in 1979, which reflects a fictional conversation with Pope John Paul I, who died after only 33 days in office. The opening of the song, “Hi. Hi,” echoed her greeting to Pope Leo.
Pope Leo, evidently aware of her work, responded warmly to her mention of “Wave,” calling it “marvelous.” This meeting follows Smith’s performance earlier this year during the inauguration of the Holy See’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair, an event that coincided with the anniversary of Leo’s election.
The encounter, which lasted approximately 40 minutes, was described by Spadaro as “a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends.” He noted that they shared memories and dreams, infused with both nostalgia and hope.
As their meeting came to a close, Smith bid farewell with a gentle “Bye. Bye.” This wasn’t the first time Smith has interacted with the papacy; she met Pope Francis in 2013 and performed for him in 2014. Following his passing in April 2025, she penned a poignant tribute, likening him to a dandelion—“humble yet strong”—and lamenting the loss of a champion for nature, poetry, and the suffering.
Pope Leo’s week was particularly star-studded, as he also attended a concert in his honor by renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli just days prior to his meeting with Smith.
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