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A spokesperson for the Vatican released a statement Friday that seriously downplays the series of events that Kim Davis claims took place when she met with Pope Francis during his trip to America. The Rev. Federico Lombardi says Davis was part of a group of dozens who were asked to the Nunciature (the Vatican Embassy in Washington) right before the Pope left Washington, D.C., for New York. According to to what Lombardi recalls, the Pope did nothing more than shake Davis’ hand and give her a rosary. In a statement to The New York Times, he says:
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.
Meanwhile at the Vatican, the Rev. Thomas Rosica contended the invitation had not, in fact, been extended from Rome, but from the office of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in Washington.
Father Rosica said of the controversy: “I would simply say: Her case is a very complex case. It’s got all kinds of intricacies. Was there an opportunity to brief the pope on this beforehand? I don’t think so. A list is given — these are the people you are going to meet.”
In other words, Pope Francis likely had no f*cking clue who the lady with the denim skirt and the hair was when he met her. So yes, congratulations to Kim Davis on not lying about meeting the Pope. But given these statements from the Catholic church, Davis’ account that the Pope thanked her for her courage and told her to “stay strong,” is dubious, at best.
Which explains a lot about why the church waited so long to comment when Kim Davis started blabbing to every media outlet that would listen about her secret meeting with the Pope. As I said at the time: “What’s the Pope going to do, call out a lady for being a liar?” I guess even the Pope can only handle so much bullcrap.
(Via the New York Times)