VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV met with the pro-abortion, pro-LGBT punk rock star Patti Smith on Friday morning.
Smith, who is originally from Chicago, like Leo, is a singer, songwriter, and poet sometimes known as the “Godmother of Punk” for her influential early role in shaping punk music. Her fame peaked in the late 1970’s with her biggest hit, “Because the Night,” a sensual song that declares the “night belongs to lust.” One of her best known lyrics is, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.”
The rockstar does not identify with any religion. She has publicly supported legal abortion, claiming in 2018 that “saving the lives of young women is more important than any ideology.” She referred to her belief that legal abortion, which kills unborn babies, “saves the lives” of mothers by preventing them dying by performing abortions themselves.
In 2022, Smith called the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade “terrible” and said it broke her heart.
In 2014, Smith was invited by Pope Francis to play at a Vatican Christmas concert, and she performed at the Vatican again in 2021.
Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, said a “spark was lit” when Smith met with Pope Leo.
“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,” wrote Spadaro on X.
“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
LifeSiteNews Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen highlighted the fact that Leo took the time to meet with the “Godmother of Punk,” but “couldn’t meet with the SSPX.”
This morning, Leo XIV met with the “Godmother of Punk”, outspokenly pro-abortion and pro-LGBT Patti Lee Smith.
And he couldn’t meet with the SSPX.
In 2022 she called the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade “terrible” and said it broke her heart. pic.twitter.com/wH7aulPrwR
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) July 31, 2026
Instead of giving visibility to rockstars who have promoted sin in their music and public remarks, Leo has the opportunity to showcase rock artists who promote the Catholic faith, like the “post-punk” band Hallowed, which encourages orthodoxy and good morals while appealing to young music fans.