Patti Smith Meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in Rome

Patti Smith met with Pope Leo XIV on Friday at the Vatican. The singer and the pontiff, who are both Chicago natives, sat down for a 40-minute conversation.

The visit took place just days after Smith performed in Rome. The meeting was arranged by Rev. Antonio Spadaro, who serves as undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture ministry and is a friend of Smith.

“This is a moment that shall forever produce a smile,” Smith wrote on Instagram regarding the encounter.

A Musical Reference Recognized

Patti Smith portrait — Patti Smith, Photo: Birgit Fostervold, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Upon first meeting, Smith greeted Pope Leo XIV by saying “Hi, hi.” She delivered the greeting in the exact manner as on her 1979 song “Wave.” That track imagines a conversation with Pope John Paul I, who passed away following a 33-day papacy in 1978. Pope Leo XIV was familiar with “Wave” and immediately recognized the reference, telling Smith, “That was marvelous.”

“When that door opened, something happened… a spark was lit—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,” Rev. Spadaro wrote on Instagram.

Spadaro added: “Two Americans. Two Chicagoans. Two remarkable figures whose voices speak hope to a divided world: the ‘priestess of rock,’ as [Smith] is often called, and the Holy Father, [Pope Leo XIV]. It was a long audience that felt more like a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends, sharing memories woven from words and music, dreams, visions, and hopes—both from yesterday and for today.”

Shared Humanity

Although Smith is not Catholic, she noted that she was drawn to Pope Leo XIV because of his “gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity.” In May, Smith performed at the inauguration of the Holy See’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair, which celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Pope’s election.

Smith previously met Pope Francis in 2013 and sang for him the following year. When Pope Francis died in 2025, Smith penned a poem about him.

Vatican Rome architecture — Vatican Rome, Photo: Livioandronico2013, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Modest Mouse announced on Friday that guitarist Simon O’Connor will not join the band for their upcoming tour. The decision follows recent accusations on Reddit that O’Connor sent inappropriate messages to a minor on social media.

Modest Mouse live concert — Modest Mouse, Photo: Matthewvetter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Simon O’Conner will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” the band said in a statement shared on Instagram. “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar.”

Les Savy Fav live band — Les Savy Fav, Photo: Rama, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, via Wikimedia Commons

O’Connor’s tenure with Modest Mouse began in 2021, and he plays on the group’s recently released album An Eraser and a Maze. He is also a touring guitarist with MGMT. The allegations against him surfaced when a 17-year-old Reddit user posted screenshots of a conversation, claiming O’Connor sent an erotic image and commented on bikini pictures while she was 16 years old.

Simon O’Connor Responds to Allegations

O’Connor responded directly within the Reddit thread to address the situation. He wrote that he unequivocally opposes any sexual behavior toward minors and stated that it disgusts him as a human and a parent.

The guitarist explained that he mistook the user for someone who had previously targeted him online. “Throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me,” O’Connor wrote, adding that the individual repeatedly creates and deletes social media accounts while posting similar photos.

According to O’Connor, after a long night, he noticed a profile interacting with his Instagram posts and stories. Believing it was the same individual, he admitted to reaching out with a tasteless meme, a sticker reading “Simon calls your bluff,” and an attempt to call out the barrage of likes. He stated that he realized his mistake after a few minutes, unsent the messages, and ceased communication.

“I’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages,” O’Connor added. “They didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and I’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them.”

Tour Schedule and Status

Despite the explanation and apology, Modest Mouse opted to leave O’Connor off the upcoming tour lineup. A representative for the band declined further comment beyond the group’s Instagram statement.

Modest Mouse’s tour is scheduled to kick off on August 4 at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California, and conclude on October 23 in Sacramento. The band concluded their statement by writing, “We look forward to being out there with you all.”