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[h=4]In addition to Davis, pope met with gay couple in Washington[/h]The new twist in the controversial meeting Sept. 24 with Davis came to light after Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi released a statement Friday saying the "only real audience granted by the pope" at the embassy that day "was with one of his former students and his family."
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Defiant Kentucky clerk Kim Davis met briefly with Pope Francis during his historic U.S. visit, an encounter she said validates her crusade against gay marriage. (Sept. 30) AP
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying it was against her religious beliefs. She has sued Kentucky's governor, claiming he "usurped' county-level authority in granting marriage licenses.(Photo: Timothy D. Easley, AP)
The Vatican confirmed Friday that Pope Francis held<span style="color: Red;">*</span>an audience<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with a gay former student and his partner in Washington, where the pontiff also met with Kim Davis.
The new twist in the controversial meeting Sept. 24<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Davis came to light after<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi released a statement Friday saying the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“only real audience granted by the pope” at the Vatican Embassy<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Washington<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“was with one of his former students and his family."
Yayo Grassi, an openly gay man from Francis' native Argentina and longtime friend of the pontiff, was that former student,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Lombardi confirmed later Friday. Grassi, who has been in a same-sex relationship for 19 years, brought<span style="color: Red;">*</span>his partner and several friends to the Vatican Embassy in Washington<span style="color: Red;">*</span>for a brief visit.
Grassi<span style="color: Red;">*</span>told CNN<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that Francis has long known he is gay but never condemned his sexuality or relationship. Grassi said he<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and his partner had previously met with the pope in Rome.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"He has never been judgmental," Grassi told CNN. "He has never said anything negative."
Lombardi confirmed Grassi had previously<span style="color: Red;">*</span>met with the pope.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"As noted in the past, the pope, as pastor, has maintained many personal relationships with people in a spirit of kindness, welcome and dialogue," Lombardi<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said in a statement.
A video posted online shows Grassi and the pope embracing before Grassi introduces him to his partner, Iwan Bagus, as well as his mother and friends.
The announcement came as the Vatican seemed to distance itself Friday from Davis, a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kentucky clerk who spent time in jail for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
"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," Lombardi said.
Lombardi said the pontiff met with several dozen people at the Vatican's embassy that day just before leaving Washington for New York and that those meetings were due to the pope's "kindness and availability."
Earlier this week, Davis said the pope encouraged her to "stay strong" in their meeting and said she felt a sense of validation from their discussion. The Vatican's statement Friday made<span style="color: Red;">*</span>clear the pontiff did not intend to weigh in on the case.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Lombardi said the statement was issued<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to "contribute to an objective understanding of what transpired."
However, Davis' lawyer Mat Staver said in a statement<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that despite the Vatican' remarks, the "pope’s own words about conscientious objection being a human right and his private meeting with Kim Davis indicate support for the universal right of conscientious objection."
Staver said the meeting was initiated by the Vatican and occurred in private. He added the meeting was never meant to be<span style="color: Red;">*</span>an endorsement of the complex aspects of Davis' legal<span style="color: Red;">*</span>case.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"The meeting was a pastoral meeting to encourage Kim Davis in which Pope Francis thanked her for her courage and told her to ‘Stay strong,’ ” Staver said.
Rosica said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Vatican staff did not organize the meeting. According to the National Catholic Reporter, Rosica said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>it might have been an initiative by the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Vigano.
Rosica said that Vatican staff were not sure the pope “knew fully each of the people he was meeting” while greeting people at the nunciature. He also said Francis had personally approved Friday’s press statement after a meeting with Lombardi on the issue.
Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY; Rosie Scammell, Religion News Service
USA TODAY
Vatican confirms pope met with Kim Davis
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