At the Vatican, two elderly men — one Jewish, one Catholic — exchange gifts and mutual admiration

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According to reporting by The Forward, On Wednesday, two senior citizens, Robert Zimmerman, 85, a Jew originally from Minnesota, and Robert Prevost, 71, a Catholic of Chicago, had a brief meeting at the younger man’s office in central Italy. Sources on the scene report that Zimmerman was in town.

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Pope Leo XIV meets Bob Dylan during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace on Nov. 04, 2026. Photo by Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

On Wednesday, two senior citizens, Robert Zimmerman, 85, a Jew originally from Minnesota, and Robert Prevost, 71, a Catholic of Chicago, had a brief meeting at the younger man’s office in central Italy.

Sources on the scene report that Zimmerman was in town for business and Prevost, who goes professionally by Leo, had recently cited Zimmerman’s work in the preface to a book about nuclear disarmament.

Both men dressed in uniform, looking a bit Spy Vs. Spy , with Zimmerman in a black hoodie and Prevost in white with a small white skull cap. The confab was brief, a bulletin from Prevost’s workplace reported, consisting of “greetings and a few lighthearted exchanges.”

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Information in this article was compiled directly from records provided by The Forward. Access the primary source document at: https://forward.com/culture/860636/bob-dylan-pope-leo-xiv-vatican-meeting/. Reporting and editorial review conducted by the USA NOW News Desk.