ROWAN COUNTY, KY (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – After The Vatican’s official clarification that Pope Francis’ meeting with Kim Davis was not a “private audience” as the Rowan County clerk claimed, Liberty Counsel (Davis’ attorneys) went on a damage-control mode.
Following documented media reports that the only private audience the Pope gave was with his long-time Argentinian student/friend and his same-sex partner, Davis and her lawyers released a photo taken during her meeting with Francis to prove that the private audience did happen.
Here is the photo Liberty Counsel released to the media today.
Same-sex partners Yayo Grassi, left, and Iwan Bagus, meeting with Pope Francis in Washington, D.C. (Screen capture/NYT)
THE VATICAN, Italy (The Adobo Chronicles®) – Pope Francis gave his blessing to Kim Davis during a brief meeting at The Vatican embassy in Washington, D.C. last week. But now, the Pope is taking back that blessing because Davis and her lawyers lied about the brief encounter.
Davis, the Rowan (KY) county clerk who spent jail time for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, was telling everybody that she had a “private audience” with Francis who thanked her for her “courage” and to “stay strong,” suggesting that the Pope had endorsed her defiance of civil law because of her religious belief.
While The Vatican confirmed the meeting between the Pope and Davis, it clarified that it was far from being a “private audience.” Davis was just among the many individuals that were hustled in and out to greet the Pope during his downtime at the embassy.
The Vatican said that the Pope didn’t even know who Davis was.
But a real “private audience” happened the day before Davis met the Pope.
It was a pre-arranged meeting with the Pope’s longtime friend from Argentina who has been in a same-sex relationship for 19 years.
Yayo Grassi, an openly gay man, brought his partner, Iwan Bagus, as well several other friends to the Vatican Embassy on September 23 for a brief visit with the Pope. A video of the meeting shows Grassi and Francis greeting each other with a warm hug.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Grassi declined to disclose details about the short visit, but said it was arranged personally with the Pope via email in the weeks ahead of Francis’ highly anticipated visit to the United States.
“Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug,” Grassi said.
So, while the Pope wasn’t endorsing same-sex relationships by meeting with his gay friend, neither was he endorsing Davis’ opposition to same-sex marriage just because of that brief, almost anonymous encounter.
Now, Davis has to go to confession to ask pardon for lying about her encounter with the Pope!
THE VATICAN, Italy (The Adobo Chronicles®) – As with all trips by heads of state, the itinerary of a visiting dignitary is always packed, consisting of a whirlwind of welcome ceremonies, state banquets, speeches before various groups, meetings with key officials, field trips, photo opportunities, and yes, private meetings, both scheduled and unscheduled.
Pope Francis’ visit to the United States last week was no exception.
In between his major appearances at The White House, before Congress and the United Nations, and the huge Christian family gathering in Philadelphia, the Pope also had scheduled and impromptu moments with the homeless, the incarcerated, victims of clergy sexual abuse, and the lucky few who were simply hustled in and out for private audiences.
Rowan County (KY) clerk Kim Davis was among the lucky ones, thanks to persistent ‘lobbying’ by Liberty Counsel, Davis’ attorneys in her legal case in Kentucky. According to reports, the “secret” meeting between Francis and Davis was brokered by Archbishop Carl Vigano, papal nuncio to the United States at whose residence the pope stayed during his time in Washington, D.C.
While The Vatican has confirmed that the meeting between the Pope Francis and Davis did take place, it clarified that the Pontiff didn’t exactly know who Davis was. “You know, the Pope doesn’t read U.S. newspapers or watch American television,” a Vatican spokesperson said.
“What is clear is that the Pope thought that Davis was a U.S. immigrant with a Korean mother and American father, who was advocating for comprehensive immigration reform in Washington,” The Vatican said.
“Since immigration was one of the Pope’s key messages during his U.S. visit, he agreed to briefly meet with who he thought was an immigrant rights advocate.”
“That’s when the Pope thanked Davis for her “courage” and “to stay strong.”
THE VATICAN, Italy (The Adobo Chronicles®) – As with all trips by heads of state, the itinerary of a visiting dignitary is always packed, consisting of a whirlwind of welcome ceremonies, state banquets, speeches before various groups, meetings with key officials, field trips, photo opportunities, and yes, private meetings, both scheduled and unscheduled.
The Adobo Chronicles 
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