Did Pope Francis Meet Kim Davis In Private Audience?–Mainstream Media Hides Real Story

The mainstream media doesn’t want people to know what exactly happened during the reported meeting between Pope Francis and Kim Davis, the embattled Kentucky clerk who refuses to perform her duties and issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Some outlets, such as Yahoo, who are reporting on the controversial encounter, describe a statement from Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, clarifying the circumstances surrounding the purported audience, as “extraordinary” and “unprecedented” because it was personally approved by Pope Francis and it denies nearly everything Kim Davis and her attorney have stated.

Davis’ attorney, Mat Staver of the conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, announced Friday that Pope Francis met with Kim Davis and her husband Joe when the Pontiff visited the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. last Thursday during the Holy Father’s visit to the U.S. Moreover, Staver suggested the audience was a private one, which is being refuted by Father Lombardi.

This is the entire statement, released by the Holy See Press Office about Pope Francis’ meeting with Kim Davis.

“The brief meeting between Mrs. Kim Davis and Pope Francis at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC has continued to provoke comments and discussion. In order to contribute to an objective understanding of what transpired I am able to clarify the following points:”

“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. 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.”

“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.”

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the student in question, Yayo Grassi, is an openly gay man who came to meet Pope Francis accompanied by his partner of 19-years. The Pontiff has made headlines and angered some of the ultra-conservative groups within the Catholic Church with his inclusive attitude towards gays. However, there has been no real change and the institution continues to ban same-sex marriage.

Following reports about Pope Francis meeting Kim Davis, some statements made by the Pontiff on the plane ride back home seemed to suggest he was taking the Kentucky clerk’s side on the controversial matter, which has been passionately debated by both, conservatives and liberals in the U.S.

As reported by the Inquisitr, Pope Francis stated workers have a “human right” to refuse to issue same-sex marriage license, if it goes against their conscientious objections. At the time, the Pontiff clarified that he doesn’t have in mind all such cases, however, he insisted this is a basic right that is part of every human right, which every human being should have.

Following Pope Francis’ statements, many in the U.S. made the connection to the Kim Davis case. The Kentucky clerk was jailed, and later released, after she refused to obey an order coming from the Supreme Court, in which all states were instructed to issue same-sex marriage licenses, something she claims she can’t do in good conscience because it goes against her religious beliefs.

In addition to the scolding statement, Father Tom Rosica, a Vatican press official who assists the Holy See with English-language media, emphasized Davis’ invitation was not organized by the Vatican and suggested it could have been an initiative from U.S. Archbishop Carlo Viganò, the U.S. Ambassador.

Critics are now mocking Kim Davis, who is apparently caught in a blatant lie after she made some statements echoing her lawyers’ description of the alleged meeting with Pope Francis. Davis told ABC News that is was “really humbling to think he would want to meet me or know me.” It was also reported that Pope Francis called Kim Davis “courageous.”

[Photos by Ty Wright/Getty Images, Getty Images]