On Friday, Pope Leo XIV met with radical rocker Patti Smith in a meeting a Vatican official described as a ‘shared mission,’ even as Smith makes it clear publicly that she is not even Catholic.
Smith, who originally hails from Chicago like the pontiff, is a radical, pro-abortion, pro-LGBT punk rock star who made her mark in the 1970’s.
Among the lyrics she became famous for is the opening line from the song “Gloria” from her 1975 debut album Horses, which states, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.”
Smith has been a vocal supporter of abortion, something that the Vatican did not seem bothered by in their celebration of her private audience with Leo.
During a press conference in 2018, Smith made statements supporting legal access to abortion, framing it as a complex personal matter where protecting women’s lives takes priority over ideology and as a ‘healthcare’ issue.
She said at the time, “It is a personal matter, and each one has to do what seems right to them. I believe it is more important to save the lives of young women, or of any person who makes this type of decision, than to base the decision on any type of ideology.”
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, she described the decision as “terrible.”
She said her “heart is broken,” and criticized the Court for appearing to have been “manipulated” and shifted rightward rather than remaining neutral. She added that the U.S. was not setting a good example for other countries.
Yet the Vatican celebrated the meeting.
On Friday morning, July 31, the Pope received Patti Smith, the singer-songwriter, poet, and artist, who—like him—is originally from Chicago.https://t.co/GNl01DPxig pic.twitter.com/EPJwH9FVxw
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 31, 2026
Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, said a “spark was lit” when Smith met with the Pope and did not mention the obvious conflict with her views on abortion and what is supposed to be an important issue within the church.
Spadaro wrote on X, “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.”
“Two Americans. Two Chicagoans. Two remarkable figures whose voices speak hope to a divided world: the “priestess of rock,” as #PattiSmith is often called, 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 figure 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 less willing to meet with conservative Catholics and has refused meetings with the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), particularly its Superior General, Father Davide Pagliarani.
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