Bob Dylan met Pope Leo during a private audience at the Vatican on November 4, but it was his black hoodie that stole the show, sending social media into a frenzy with jokes about the singer looking like a Jedi or a Sith Lord.
The 85-year-old music legend attended the meeting while on tour in Italy, ahead of his performance at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome. Photographs from the audience show Dylan keeping his hood up, a choice that quickly became the subject of widespread mockery online.
Viral Reactions and Memes
Social media users flooded platforms with memes, including Star Wars-themed images such as the Sith Kermit the Frog, as the photos went viral. One user asked, "Why is Bob Dylan dressed like a Jedi." Another commented, "Bob Dylan dressed up like Darth Sidious (Star Wars villian) to meet the Pope."
A third user wrote, "Is Bob Dylan emo?" while a fourth added, "Bob dylan really had to bring the hoodie out for Pope Leo." A fifth remarked, "Why does Bob Dylan look like a Sith Lord." Others compared his outfit to the hooded attire from the video game Assassin's Creed.
Pope's Connection to Dylan's Work
The meeting was not the first link between the pontiff and the singer. In July 2026, Pope Leo quoted Dylan in the preface to a book published by the Vatican Publishing House (LEV) titled Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Giff.
The Pope used words from Dylan's protest song "Go Away You Bomb," a warning against nuclear weapons that was never officially recorded or released. According to Vatican News, the quoted words were: "I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned, an' man-handled".
During the brief meeting, the two exchanged gifts. Pope Leo gave Dylan a rosary, and Dylan reciprocated with a copy of his book, Chronicles: Volume One.
