Pope Francis met privately with Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses in protest of the Supreme Court’s legalization of gay marriage, according to her team of lawyers.
The meeting took place last Thursday at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C., during the Pope’s visit to the United States, according to a statement posted to the Liberty Counsel website.
The Vatican would not deny that the meeting took place, according to CNN. Davis was jailed for six days after refusing to issue the licenses. She argued that she should be exempt from issuing licenses to same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs.
According to Davis’ attorneys, the Pope met with the clerk and her husband in the nation’s capital and thanked Davis for her "courage." He also allegedly asked her to "stay strong" and presented Davis and her husband with Rosaries that he blessed.
"I was humbled to meet Pope Francis. Of all people, why me? I never thought I would meet the Pope. Who am I to have this rare opportunity? I am just a county clerk who loves Jesus and desires with all my heart to serve him," Davis said of the meeting.
"Pope Francis was kind, genuinely caring, and very personable. He even asked me to pray for him. Pope Francis thanked me for my courage and told me to ‘stay strong.’"
Mat Staver, the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said that the meeting lasted about 10 minutes. He also said that photos of the interaction would eventually be released.
Initially, Vatican spokesman Ciro Benedettini said of the alleged meeting, "We do not confirm nor deny the story. There will be no statement."
Later, a second Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, stated, "I don’t deny that the meeting took place, but I have no comment to add."