The Kentucky county clerk who thinks that Jesus wants her to deprive other people of their legal rights had a secret meeting with Francis while he was in the US. Why it should have been kept secret is not clear since Davis is just a pain in the neck and not a political prisoner or anything that could have created a diplomatic row. Could it be that Francis was worried that such a meeting would be unseemly considering that this law-breaking woman’s life does not comport with Catholic doctrine and the main thing bringing them together is hateful anti-gay bigotry?
The Vatican’s reticence about the meeting and refusal to comment further suggests that they are not particularly proud of it. Jesse Berney, however, has compiled a list of ten things she likely said to Francis during the meeting. Here are a few:
“I’m glad we agree marriage should only be between one man and one woman. Or one woman and three men. Four times.”
And
“Not that I’m opposed to a fifth go-round if I meet the right guy.” [Places hand on pope’s thigh.]
And
“What do you mean you’ve never heard of Mike Huckabee? He’s like the pope, but for America.”
The other seven are pretty good too.
I wonder how the Pope would feel if one of his employees, a priest, refused to grant communion to people with Down’s Syndrome because, in addition to the regular Catholic beliefs, that priest had an additional sincerely held religious belief that people with Down’s Syndrome were inhabited by Satan?
I’m not sure why people are saying the meeting happened. I’m not saying it didn’t, but the meeting has yet to actually be confirmed, and Kim Davis’s lawyers (as well as Kim Davis herself) are not exactly known for being honest.
So… you know…
The Washington Post report I linked to says that the Vatican has confirmed the meeting but won’t say what was discussed.
I know. New York Times and Reuters said the same thing. But the reality is that the Vatican never actually confirmed it at all… they just aren’t denying it, either.
Think Progress actually did a good write-up of it.
I think it’s entirely possible that Kim Davis was part of a small audience who met with the Pope and she and her lawyers are grossly exaggerating what happened. It’s also possible that they did meet and the Vatican isn’t very happy about it. Or perhaps the Vatican simply doesn’t know.
But why they wouldn’t just confirm it, deny it, or say they don’t know is very weird, and makes me think that there is some sort of strange deception going on here, from either or both parties.
Maybe they’re thinking if they confirm it, they’ll piss off the progressive people who think the Pope is cool. And if they deny it they’ll piss off the fanatics who think the Pope is cool.
Also a very good point, Saad.