#SHOWBIZ: Pope receives black-clad Bob Dylan

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff, hosted a brief meeting with music legend Bob Dylan on Wednesday, according to Vatican News. The 85-year-old folk singer, whose real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman, was in Italy for a tour when he donned a black hooded sweater for the encounter. The Pope exchanged a rosary with Dylan, while the musician presented the head of the Catholic Church, whose global following stands at 1.4 billion, with his autobiography.

A year earlier, Pope Leo had referenced a Dylan lyric in the preface of a book he authored on disarmament. Known for his outspoken anti-war stances, Leo has often found himself at odds with US President Donald Trump, particularly over Trump's stance on the Middle East conflict. Interestingly, Dylan has previously met with other Popes - he performed at a youth prayer vigil in Bologna in 1997 during John Paul II's reign.

Dylan, who debuted with his first album in 1963, was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.