Pope met secretly in U.S. with anti-gay marriage county clerk

“I do not deny that the meeting took place”, Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See Press Office, said, according to The Wall Street Journal. Davis said the Pope thanked her for her courage and advised her to “stay strong”.

Francis, who recently concluded a week-long visit to America, said that if rights are denied in certain circumstances, it would create a situation where a few human rights are deemed more important than others.

The pope reportedly gave the Davises two rosaries, which Staver said she gave to her parents, who are life-long Catholics.

The Washington Post reports Davis and her husband, Joe, met privately with Francis at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington last Thursday.

The former Arkansas governor visited with Davis at the Carter County jail in Grayson, Ky., on the day of her release September 8, standing by her side as she spoke to a crowd of supporters.

Davis’s lawyer and the Liberty Council’s founder and chairman, Matt Staver, added: “The challenges we face in America regarding the sanctity of human life, marriage, and religious freedom are the same universal challenges Christians face around the world”.

The legal team for Kim Davis says that the woman who spent time behind bars for her beliefs met with the pontiff during his historic trip to the United States. Knowing that the pope agreed with what she was doing “kind of validates everything”, she said.

Photos of the meeting exist and are now in the Vatican’s possession, Davis’ lawyer said.

Davis’ attorney, Matt Staver, initially told CBS News yesterday about the meeting, though neither side would directly confirm it happened until now. “I had tears coming out of my eyes…I’m just a nobody, so it was really humbling to think he would want to meet or know me”.

Francis said the law must respect all forms of conscientious objection. “Conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right”.

The Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage across the nation in June however while in the USA, the Pope did not overly discuss the issue of marriage equality.