Kentucky Clerk Has Brief Meeting With the Pope

At first I thought this was a hoax, but it looks like it's true.

The Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples says she met briefly with the Pope during his historic visit to the United States.

Vatican officials did not respond to an email asking for comment early Wednesday.

Kim Davis' lawyer, Mat Staver, says Davis met with Pope Francis last Thursday afternoon at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C., for less than 15 minutes.

Davis spent five days in jail for defying a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Staver said Davis and her husband met privately with the pope. He would not say who initiated the meeting or how it came to be.

The Washington Post reports Davis and her husband, Joe, met privately with Francis at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington last Thursday. The pair reportedly chatted about bravery, then hugged and exchanged promises of prayer.

Pope Francis thanked Davis for her “courage,” and told her to “stay strong.” The news release added that the pope also “presented Kim and Joe Davis each with a Rosary that he personally blessed.”