Pope 'was not supporting' same sex marriage protest

Pope Francis’ meeting with Kim Davis - a clerk from Kentucky sent to jail for refusing to give same-sex couples a marriage licence - was not a support of her position, the Vatican said in a statement today. 

During his visit to the United States the Pope held a private meeting with Mrs Davis in the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington. 

On board the plane returning to Rome the Pope, while giving a press conference, was asked if he supported government officials refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples on the grounds of conscience. 

Francis said couldn’t have “in mind” every case regarding conscientious objection but, the Pope said, this “is a human right and if a government official is a human person, he has that right. It is a human right.”

In the statement today the Vatican said 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”.

The statement added that the Pope meet several dozen people at the nunciature as he prepared to leave Washington for New York City and these take place due to Francis “characteristic kindness and availability.”