Pope Francis Meets Rock Icon Patti Smith at Vatican

Pope Francis received American singer-songwriter and artist Patti Smith for a private audience at the Vatican. Smith, a multifaceted artist known for her contributions to punk rock, literature, photography, and visual arts, met with the pontiff.

Smith, 79, first gained prominence in 1975 with her band's breakthrough album "Horses," which blended punk music with poetry. Although not Catholic and having renounced organized religion, Smith has had previous encounters with the Vatican's leadership. She met multiple times with Pope Francis's predecessor, the late Pope Benedict XVI, expressing admiration and performing her music at the Vatican.

Her connection to the Vatican has deepened recently through an artistic collaboration. On May 8, Smith inaugurated the Vatican's pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale. During this event, she collaborated with the experimental music group Soundwalk Collective to present a project conceived as a "sound prayer," according to Vatican News.