Pope Leo XIV welcomed Patti Smith to the Vatican, reuniting two Chicago natives and spotlighting her wide-ranging artistic career. Smith rose to prominence with her 1974 debut single and the breakthrough 1975 album Horses. In May she opened the Holy See's pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale and, with the Soundwalk Collective, staged a sound work described as a musical prayer.
Pope Leo XIV Welcomes Patti Smith to the Vatican — When Faith Meets Punk Art
Pope Leo XIV receives American singer Patricia Lee Smith in a private audience at the Vatican. (is associated with: «Pope Leo meets rock legend Patti Smith at the Vatican») -/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa
Pope Leo XIV received American musician, poet and author Patti Smith at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the Holy See said on Friday. The meeting brought together two Chicago natives: the head of the Catholic Church and Smith, widely known as the 'godmother of punk.'
Smith first attracted attention with her 1974 debut single, "Hey Joe/Piss Factory," recorded with the Patti Smith Group. The following year the group earned widespread acclaim with the 1975 album Horses, which fused raw punk energy with spoken-word poetry and helped shape the post‑punk and alternative rock landscape.
Artistic Collaboration With The Holy See
Beyond music, Smith is an accomplished poet, photographer and visual artist. In May, to mark the first anniversary of the pope's election, she inaugurated the Holy See's pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale. There, together with the Soundwalk Collective, she presented a sound performance described by organisers as a form of musical prayer, deepening her recent cultural engagement with the Vatican.
The Apostolic Palace meeting highlighted an unexpected but meaningful intersection of contemporary art, music and faith — underscoring Smith's multifaceted career and the Holy See's interest in engaging contemporary artists.
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