Pope Leo XIV received American singer, poet, and artist Patti Smith in a private audience at the Vatican on Friday, July 31.
The meeting lasted about 40 minutes at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, according to Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, who shared details of the encounter on Instagram.
Smith wore a Tau cross, a symbol closely associated with the Franciscan order, during the audience.
The meeting also had a personal connection: Both the pontiff and the artist were born in Chicago, a detail highlighted by the Vatican when it reported on the encounter.
Known as the “godmother of punk,” the 79-year-old Smith has been a prominent figure in music, poetry, and the visual arts for five decades.
Her debut album, “Horses,” released in 1975, helped transform New York’s music scene by combining rock and poetry. Her best-known songs include “Because the Night,” which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen.
The audience took place amid the Holy See’s continuing dialogue with the cultural world.
On May 8, the first anniversary of Leo XIV’s election, Smith inaugurated the Holy See Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, which is scheduled to continue through Nov. 22.
For the exhibition, Smith and the artistic group Soundwalk Collective presented what organizers described as a “sound prayer.” The collective is a central collaborator in the project promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Smith’s relationship with the Vatican extends across several pontificates. She met Pope Francis during his general audience on April 10, 2013, and performed for him at the Vatican the following year.
The Vatican did not disclose what Leo XIV and Smith discussed during their private conversation. Photographs released by Vatican Media showed the artist appearing visibly moved during the meeting.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.