Pope Francis met when he was here with Kim Davis, the county clerk who went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It’s strange to think of an Apostolic Pentecostal Christian, which Kim Davis is, holding much store with the Pope of Rome. But that the Pope met with her puts flesh and blood to his rather vague statements on religious liberty.
He also made a point of meeting with the Little Sisters of the Poor, who have been fighting in court for the right not to comply with Obamacare contraception requirements.
The media emphasized the Pope’s liberal pronouncements, but not so much his conservative ones. But his actions show that he supports religious accommodations for those whose conscience cannot accept culture war laws.
From Kentucky clerk Kim Davis met privately with Pope Francis, Vatican confirms – The Washington Post:
Pope Francis met with Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis during the pope’s visit to the United States, the Vatican confirmed on Wednesday morning.
Rev. Manuel Dorantes, a spokesman for the Vatican, said to The Washington Post, “I do not deny that the meeting took place, but I have no comments to add.”
The meeting between Davis, who went to jail for six days after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and the pope was announced late Tuesday by Liberty Counsel, a religious freedom nonprofit that is representing the elected Rowan County clerk in her ongoing legal struggles.
Mat Staver, Davis’s attorney and the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, told the Washington Post that Davis and her husband, Joe, met privately with Francis at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington last Thursday afternoon. The brief meeting lasted under 15 minutes, Staver said.
The pair chatted about bravery, then hugged and exchanged promises of prayer, according to a news release from the Liberty Counsel.
The pope thanked Davis for her “courage,” according to the press release, and told her to “stay strong.” The news release also said Francis “presented Kim and Joe Davis each with a Rosary that he personally blessed.”
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