Pope Francis at St. Patrick’s in Washington D.C. (Getty Images)
The Vatican is clarifying what went on when Pope Francis met Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused, against the law, to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Father Federico Lombardi said, “The pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis, and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects.”
Davis and her lawyer revealed that she met the pontiff when he was in Washington D.C. last week. Davis said, “I’m just a nobody, so it was really humbling to think he would want to meet or know me,” and claimed, “I put my hand out and he reached and he grabbed it, and I hugged him and he hugged me. And he said, ‘thank you for your courage.'”
The Vatican first attempted a non-denial, saying on Wednesday, “The Holy See is aware of the reports of Kim Davis meeting with the Holy Father. The Vatican does not confirm the meeting, nor does it deny the meeting. There will be no further information given,” but then Lombardi made his remarks today. From the NY Times:
Father Lombardi, in his statement, played down the meeting and said it had been arranged by the Nunciature — the Vatican Embassy — in Washington.
“Pope Francis met with several dozen persons who had been invited by the Nunciature to greet him as he prepared to leave Washington for New York City,” Father Lombardi said.
He added: “Such brief greetings occur on all papal visits and are due to the pope’s characteristic kindness and availability. The only real audience granted by the pope at the Nunciature was with one of his former students and his family.”
Many fans of Pope Francis’s progressive views had been disappointed about news of the meeting, and the Times points out, “On Friday, the Vatican appeared to be distancing itself from Ms. Davis’s camp. Father Lombardi’s statement said that the brief meeting ‘has continued to provoke comments and discussion,’ and that he was providing clarification ‘in order to contribute to an objective understanding of what transpired.'”
The Vatican says that Pope Francis met Davis and her husband in a receiving. However, Davis’s lawyer Mat Staver says the meeting was in a private room—and was prompted by the Vatican. He added, “We wouldn’t expect the pope to weigh in on the particulars of any case.”
Rev. Thomas Rosica, who assists Lombardi, told reporters that the Pope didn’t realize who Davis was, “I don’t think it’s a matter of being tricked as of being fully aware of the situation and its complexities. I don’t think anyone was willfully trying to trick the pope, and at the same time nor was the pope briefed properly on who was he meeting. He wasn’t properly briefed on the person or the impact of such a visit.”
