{"id":2073387,"date":"2026-08-01T16:02:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T13:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2073387"},"modified":"2026-08-01T16:02:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T13:02:55","slug":"patti-smith-meets-pope-leo-xiv-at-the-vatican-a-spark-was-lit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2073387","title":{"rendered":"Patti Smith meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican: \u201cA spark was lit\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pope_patti_smith.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><i class=\"tdb-bread-sep td-icon-right\"><\/i><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Patti Smith meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican: \u201cA spark was lit\u201d<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The two Chicago natives\u00a0reportedly spoke\u00a0for around 40 minutes during a private audience<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Max Pilley<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-08-01T17:02:55+01:00\">1st August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- .\/block --><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure>\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pope_patti_smith-696x442.jpg\" alt title=\"Vatican Pool Images 2026\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Pope Leo XIV meets with Patti Smith during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on July 31, 2026 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Simone Risoluti &#8211; Vatican Media via Vatican Pool\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Patti Smith\u00a0has met with Pope Leo XIV during a 40-minute private audience at the Vatican.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1261\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>Patti Smith live in London: punk\u2019s poet laureate claims legend status<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The punk icon was welcomed to the Apostolic Palace yesterday (July 31), with the Vatican later sharing photographs and footage of the meeting on social media.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Smith was accompanied by her longtime friend Reverend Antonio Spadaro, who serves as the Vatican\u2019s Undersecretary for Culture and Education. He said that Smith was initially almost speechless in the Pope\u2019s presence, but before long the two struck up a rapport.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen that door opened, something happened,\u201d Spadaro wrote on X. \u201cA spark was lit \u2013 one that came with a few lighthearted moments, but also with a profound sense of emotion and of a shared mission in this challenging world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo Americans, two Chicagoans. Two remarkable figures whose voices speak hope to a divided world: the \u2018priestess of rock\u2019, as #PattiSmith is often called, and the Holy Father, #PopeLeoXIV.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">When that door opened, something happened\u2026 a spark was lit\u2014one that came with a few lighthearted moments, but also with a profound sense of emotion and of a shared mission in this challenging world.<br \/>Two Americans. Two Chicagoans. Two remarkable figures whose voices speak hope to\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Ol9bOjr1dQ<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Antonio Spadaro (@antoniospadaro) July 31, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He added that their meeting \u201cfelt more like a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends\u201d as they shared memories \u201cwoven from words and music, dreams, visions and hopes \u2013 both from yesterday and for today\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Smith also shared an image from the meeting on her Instagram, writing: \u201cA moment that shall forever produce a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbeunLEjEV-\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Although Smith is not a Catholic, she spoke regularly about her appreciation for Pope Francis, who she was invited to perform for at the Vatican\u2019s Christmas concert in 2014. That booking was\u00a0criticised\u00a0by some\u00a0conservative\u00a0groups,\u00a0due to the opening line\u00a0of her classic track \u2018Gloria\u2019: \u201c<i>Jesus died for somebody\u2019s sins but not mine<\/i>\u201c.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>She also shared a poem to mark Pope Francis\u2019 death in April last year. \u201cFarewell dear Pope Francis,\u201d she wrote. \u201cNature and poetry and the suffering shall miss\u00a0their\u00a0champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, Smith released her latest memoir\u00a0<i>Bread\u00a0Of\u00a0Angels\u00a0<\/i>last year, in which\u00a0she revealed how she tracked down\u00a0the identity of her biological father.<\/p>\n<p>She is also due to appear at CBGB Festival in Brooklyn on September 26, alongside the likes of Morrissey,\u00a0Interpol\u00a0and\u00a0Sex Pistols\u00a0featuring\u00a0Frank Carter, and will also take part in the Dua Lipa-curated London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre in October.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Patti Smith<\/li>\n<li>Punk<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<div id=\"taboola-below-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\">\n<p><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div 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Comic-Con<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/billie_joe_amp-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/billie_joe_amp-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Green Day\u2019s Billie Joe Armstrong announces limited-edition Radiant Red Les Paul Junior Epiphone guitar and Marshall Artist Signature amp<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                    <span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span>                <\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Patti Smith\u00a0has met with Pope Leo XIV during a 40-minute private audience at the Vatican.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1261\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>Patti Smith live in London: punk\u2019s poet laureate claims legend status<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The punk icon was welcomed to the Apostolic Palace yesterday (July 31), with the Vatican later sharing photographs and footage of the meeting on social media.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Smith was accompanied by her longtime friend Reverend Antonio Spadaro, who serves as the Vatican\u2019s Undersecretary for Culture and Education. He said that Smith was initially almost speechless in the Pope\u2019s presence, but before long the two struck up a rapport.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen that door opened, something happened,\u201d Spadaro wrote on X. \u201cA spark was lit \u2013 one that came with a few lighthearted moments, but also with a profound sense of emotion and of a shared mission in this challenging world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo Americans, two Chicagoans. Two remarkable figures whose voices speak hope to a divided world: the \u2018priestess of rock\u2019, as #PattiSmith is often called, and the Holy Father, #PopeLeoXIV.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">When that door opened, something happened\u2026 a spark was lit\u2014one that came with a few lighthearted moments, but also with a profound sense of emotion and of a shared mission in this challenging world.<br \/>Two Americans. Two Chicagoans. Two remarkable figures whose voices speak hope to\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Ol9bOjr1dQ<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Antonio Spadaro (@antoniospadaro) July 31, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He added that their meeting \u201cfelt more like a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends\u201d as they shared memories \u201cwoven from words and music, dreams, visions and hopes \u2013 both from yesterday and for today\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Smith also shared an image from the meeting on her Instagram, writing: \u201cA moment that shall forever produce a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbeunLEjEV-\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Although Smith is not a Catholic, she spoke regularly about her appreciation for Pope Francis, who she was invited to perform for at the Vatican\u2019s Christmas concert in 2014. That booking was\u00a0criticised\u00a0by some\u00a0conservative\u00a0groups,\u00a0due to the opening line\u00a0of her classic track \u2018Gloria\u2019: \u201c<i>Jesus died for somebody\u2019s sins but not mine<\/i>\u201c.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>She also shared a poem to mark Pope Francis\u2019 death in April last year. \u201cFarewell dear Pope Francis,\u201d she wrote. \u201cNature and poetry and the suffering shall miss\u00a0their\u00a0champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, Smith released her latest memoir\u00a0<i>Bread\u00a0Of\u00a0Angels\u00a0<\/i>last year, in which\u00a0she revealed how she tracked down\u00a0the identity of her biological father.<\/p>\n<p>She is also due to appear at CBGB Festival in Brooklyn on September 26, alongside the likes of Morrissey,\u00a0Interpol\u00a0and\u00a0Sex Pistols\u00a0featuring\u00a0Frank Carter, and will also take part in the Dua Lipa-curated London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre in October.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/patti-smith-meets-pope-leo-xiv-at-the-vatican-a-spark-was-lit-3960236&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pope_patti_smith.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Patti Smith meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican: \u201cA spark was lit\u201d The two Chicago natives\u00a0reportedly spoke\u00a0for around 40 minutes during a private audience By Max Pilley 1st August 2026 Pope Leo XIV meets with Patti Smith during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on July 31, 2026 in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2073387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2073387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2073387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2073387\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2073387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2073387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2073387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}