A senior Vatican official, who declined to be named, said today (October 2, 2015) that a "sense of regret" now pervades the Holy See over Pope Francis's secret meeting with Kim Davis -- the Kentucky clerk who had been jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples -- as that meeting has overshadowed almost all other aspects of the pope's U.S. visit, according to the Raw Story website.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi -- seeking to eliminate controversy resulting from the secret meeting -- said Davis was one of "several dozen" people who had been invited by the Vatican ambassador to see Francis. But Davis's lawyer -- who informed the press of the secret meeting after the pope returned to Rome -- said that Davis and Pope Francis met alone behind closed doors in the embassy, while all the other guests remained in open areas.
The Vatican also claimed today that it did not ask Davis to meet with the pope, but Davis's lawyer said the Vatican contacted Davis shortly after she was released from jail and requested that she meet with Pope Francis during his U.S. visit. Davis's lawyer also said that Vatican security personnel picked up Davis and her husband from their Washington, D.C. hotel and drove them to the Vatican Embassy to attend the private meeting.
Indeed, in trying to minimize the controversy that has resulted from Pope Francis's secret meeting with Kim Davis, the Vatican has instead made this scenario worse with its half-truths, distortions, and even lies.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It is his absolute right to meet with whomever he chooses. However, as the head of the Catholic Church, he should realize that people will find out about his engagements.
ReplyDelete