Clerk jailed over gay marriage says pope told her to ‘stay strong’

A county clerk jailed for refusing to carry out same-sex marriages says she met the pope during his historic visit to the U.S. Kim Davis and her husband met privately with Pope Francis last Thursday afternoon at the Vatican Embassy in Washington. Davis, an Apostolic Christian, who spent five days in jail in Kentucky earlier this month for defying a federal court order to issue marriage licences, said: “He told me before he left, he said 'stay strong.’ That was a great encouragement.”

Just knowing that the pope is on track with what we’re doing and agreeing, you know, it kind of validates everything.

Kim Davis

Ms Davis was in Washington for the Values Voter Summit, where the Family Research Council, which opposes same-sex marriage, presented her with an award for defying the federal judge. The meeting was confirmed by the Vatican. As Pope Francis left the U.S., he told reporters who inquired that he did not know Davis’ case in detail, but he defended conscientious objection as a human right. “It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right,” he said.

It was really very humbling to even think that he would want to meet me or know me.

Kim Davis

Americas kim davis pope