On Friday, Pope Leo XIV met with radical rocker Patti Smith in a gathering a Vatican official described as a ‘shared mission,’ at the same time as Smith makes it clear publicly that she isn’t even Catholic.
Smith, who initially hails from Chicago just like the pontiff, is a radical, pro-abortion, pro-LGBT punk rock star who made her mark within the 1970’s.
Among the many lyrics she turned well-known for is the opening line from the track “Gloria” from her 1975 debut album Horses, which states, “Jesus died for someone’s sins, however not mine.”
Smith has been a vocal supporter of abortion, one thing that the Vatican didn’t appear bothered by of their celebration of her personal viewers with Leo.
Throughout a press convention in 2018, Smith made statements supporting authorized entry to abortion, framing it as a fancy private matter the place defending girls’s lives takes precedence over ideology and as a ‘healthcare’ challenge.
She mentioned on the time, “It’s a private matter, and every one has to do what appears proper to them. I imagine it’s extra vital to avoid wasting the lives of younger girls, or of any one that makes the sort of determination, than to base the choice on any kind of ideology.”
Following the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, she described the decision as “horrible.”
She mentioned her “coronary heart is damaged,” and criticized the Courtroom for showing to have been “manipulated” and shifted rightward quite than remaining impartial. She added that the U.S. was not setting a superb instance for different nations.
But the Vatican celebrated the assembly.
On Friday morning, July 31, the Pope obtained Patti Smith, the singer-songwriter, poet, and artist, who—like him—is initially from Chicago.https://t.co/GNl01DPxig pic.twitter.com/EPJwH9FVxw
— Vatican Information (@VaticanNews) July 31, 2026
Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Tradition and Schooling, mentioned a “spark was lit” when Smith met with the Pope and didn’t point out the plain battle along with her views on abortion and what’s purported to be an vital challenge throughout the church.
Spadaro wrote on X, “When that door opened, one thing occurred… a spark was lit – one which got here with just a few lighthearted moments, but additionally with a profound sense of emotion and of a shared mission on this difficult world.”
“Two People. Two Chicagoans. Two exceptional figures whose voices communicate hope to a divided world: the “priestess of rock,” as #PattiSmith is usually referred to as, and the Holy Father, #PopeLeoXIV.”
Quando quella porta si è aperta è successo qualcosa… una scintilla non priva di “siparietti”, ma anche un senso di profonda commozione e di una missione in questo mondo difficile. Due americani, due di Chicago, due determine altissime che sono voci di speranza per un mondo diviso:… pic.twitter.com/6FoJraHcla
— Antonio Spadaro (@antoniospadaro) July 31, 2026
Pope Leo, open to entertaining radical pro-abortion figures, is much less keen to satisfy with conservative Catholics and has refused meetings with the management of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), notably its Superior Common, Father Davide Pagliarani.
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