“I’m a religious person,” he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal—“I read the scriptures a lot, meditate and pray, light candles in church. I believe in damnation and salvation, as well as predestination. The Five Books of Moses, Pauline Epistles, Invocation of the Saints, all of it.”
So, is wearing a hood in the presence of the Pope a provocation? Probably not: If anything, it’s consistent with how he has made his recent public appearances.
The brief, 10-minute meeting was private, during which the two exchanged gifts. The Pope gave Dylan a rosary. The musician reciprocated with a signed copy of Chronicles–Volume One, Dylan’s autobiography. The hood stayed on throughout the meeting, turning a gesture of artistic consistency into something that, to outsiders, might look like a defensive maneuver.
Perhaps this is the intended paradox: Dylan has spent his career evading labels, yet precisely when he tries to hide, his goes viral. In many ways, it’s an act of loyalty to himself. At 85, with a career that has left an indelible mark on music and politics, he continues to defy conventions. At least he took off his gloves to shake the Pope’s hand.
Originally published by Vanity Fair Italy.
