Jelly Roll is having a big week. In recent updates shared with fans, the singer-songwriter revealed that — in addition to reaching a fashion-related milestone on his weight-loss journey — he has now met the Pope after years of singing about his faith in his music.
In one post on Instagram on Saturday (Sept. 13), Jelly uploaded a photo of himself in Vatican City in Rome, smiling as he shakes Pope Leo XIV’s hand. Formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the current leader of the Catholic Church stepped into the papacy in early May after a two-day conclave, becoming the first-ever American to assume the position.
“From rock bottom to holy ground,” Jelly captioned his post. “‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’”
The country star’s holy encounter took place as Jelly was in town to perform “Hard Fought Hallelujah” — his 2025 collaboration with Brandon Lake — live from Vatican City for Grace for the World, a clip of which he also shared on Instagram.
Also on social media this week, Jelly posted a photo of himself looking fly in Italy’s capital, modeling a designer outfit while showing off his slim figure. “I can fit in Louis Vuitton now,” Jelly wrote on Instagram on Monday (Sept. 15). “Pray for my bank account.”
The Grammy nominee has certainly come a long way, both in terms of weight loss and in regards to his religious journey. The performer has been open over the years about taking charge of his health, running a 5k in 2024 and revealing in April that, through regular exercise and changes to his diet, he’d lost about 200 pounds at that point.
As for his faith, the musician has long been singing about how important it has been to him as he’s overcome struggles from his past, including time spent in and out of jail during his youth and battling substance abuse issues. “‘Cause God, You’ve been patient/ God, You’ve been gracious,” he sings with Lake on “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” which spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Christian Songs chart. “Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing/ So I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt Hallelujah.”
