Music Legend, 85, Goes Viral for ‘Disrespectful’ Outfit to Meet Pope
“I didn’t even know you could meet the pope dressed like that.”
Michael Kovac/WireImage;Andreas Solaro/Getty Images
Bob Dylan has gone viral online for his outfit choice when he met the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The 85-year-old Nobel Prize-winning musician visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Nov. 4. For the occasion, he wore a collared shirt with a loosely knotted polka-dotted tie under a black hoodie and coat.
Dylan wore the hood up, with a black cap peeking from underneath. He accessorized with black leather gloves and carried an umbrella with a hook handle.
People made fun of Bob Dylan’s relaxed outfit. Here with Pope Leo at the Vatican, November 4, 2026.
Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Reuters
Photos of Dylan next to Leo, 71, in classic white papal vestments drew attention.
“I didn’t even know you could meet the pope dressed like that,” one person wrote on Reddit. Another added, “Bob Dylan really dressed up as the Grim Reaper to meet the Pope.”
Commenters mocked Bob Dylan’s outfit choice.
Instagram/Complex
“I guess my favorite steakhouse has a stricter dress code than the Vatican these days,” one person wrote on X.
Pope Leo and Bob Dylan at the Vatican, November 4, 2026.
Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Reuters
Many online commenters compared Dylan’s “disrespectful” outfit to a teenager who is dragged to the church against his will, or a character from Star Wars.
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“Bob Dylan would dress like Palpatine to meet Pope Leo,” one person wrote, referring to Star Wars antagonist Sheev Palpatine portrayed by Ian McDiarmid. The fictional character’s outfit includes a black hooded cloak.
Ian McDiarmid as Sheev Palpatine in the 1983 film “Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi.”
IMDb;Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/Walt Disney
The meetup, arranged while Dylan is in Italy for his “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour, also sparked memes.
“The angel and devil on your shoulder at 3 am drunk in Chicago,” one person wrote.
Another added a text to the photo of Dylan sitting across from Leo, reading, “How it feels going to therapy.”
Commenters joked that Bob Dylan looked like a rebellious teenager when meeting Pope Leo.
Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Reuters
Some voiced their upset that the photos came to be mere days after Halloween, as the duo would have made a great costume.
Bob Dylan and Pope Leo at the Vatican, on November 4, 2026.
Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media via Reuters
According to The New York Times, Dylan gifted Leo his autobiography, Chronicles Volume One, and Leo gave Dylan a rosary.
The Vatican did not offer a reason for Dylan’s visit, but some commenters wondered whether Leo was a fan of Dylan’s.
Leo grew up in Chicago and was eight years old when Dylan released his hit “Blowin’ in the Wind” in 1963.
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan performing at a civil rights rally in 1963.
Rowland Scherman/Getty
Leo quoted Dylan’s song “Go Away You Bomb” in the foreword of his 2026 book, Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift.
Dylan previously met Pope John Paul II in 1997.
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