Country star Jelly Roll has had his share of life-changing moments, but few compare to his recent visit to Vatican City, where he met Pope Leo XIV and performed in front of tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square. Sharing a photo of the historic handshake on social media, Jelly Roll captioned it with a powerful message:
“From rock bottom to holy ground. ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’”
The image, which shows a noticeably slimmer Jelly Roll dressed in an all-black suit and smiling alongside the Pope, had many people doing a double-take, questioning if it was AI-generated. But the meeting was very real — and a testament to how far the artist has come.
Jelly Roll’s appearance at the Vatican was part of the Grace for the World concert, a special event during the Catholic Jubilee Holy Year celebration. Performing alongside global stars like Jennifer Hudson, Andrea Bocelli, Pharrell Williams, John Legend, and Karol G, Jelly delivered a moving rendition of his song “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” In a surprise moment, Jennifer Hudson joined him on stage, creating one of the most emotional performances of the night for a crowd estimated at 70,000–80,000.
The visit marked yet another milestone in Jelly Roll’s remarkable journey — from a troubled past filled with struggles involving drugs, violence, and time in prison, to becoming an internationally recognized artist performing on some of the world’s biggest stages. Despite his criminal record, he has been granted special permissions to travel internationally, including joining Post Malone on the Big Ass Stadium Tour, which recently stopped in Lisbon, Portugal.
Even with his packed tour schedule, Jelly Roll made time for this meaningful visit to the Vatican — a full-circle moment not just for him, but for the many at-risk youth he continues to mentor. His life story, now highlighted by this incredible encounter with Pope Leo XIV, stands as a powerful reminder of redemption, grace, and the power of transformation.
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Here is Jelly Roll’s full performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah” featuring Jennifer Hudson closing out the performance with a beautiful rendition of “Hallelujah”
