Last week Pope Francis made his rounds to several U.S. cities, making stops along the way to celebrate mass with Catholics from all over the country and the world. During his visit, he also stopped for a brief meeting with Kim Davis, the marriage license clerk from Kentucky who was arrested for six days earlier this month due to her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
This meeting came as a shock to many, as it seemed like an outward confirmation that the Pope, the Vatican, and many Catholics stood with Davis and supported her deliberate discrimination again same-sex couples. The Vatican, however, is completely disputing this and made a disclaimer that "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," said Ed Payne and Daniel Burke of CNN.
Davis tells a different story, claiming that Pope Francis held her extended hand, gave her a hug, and said, “‘thank you for your courage,’” said ABC News. She then went on to say, “He told me before he left, he said, ‘stay strong.’ That was a great encouragement. Just knowing that the pope is on track with what we're doing, it kind of validates everything to have someone of that stature.'"
ABC News reported that one of their own, Terry Moran, asked if Pope Francis “supports individuals, including government officials, who claim religious liberty as a reason to disobey the law." Pope Francis responded to Moran: "'I can't have in mind all the cases that can exist about conscientious objection, but, yes, I can say that conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right. It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right.'"
Having set the scene, it should be acknowledged that there are people from both ends of the spectrum of accepting same-sex marriage who have something to say about this visit, but let us first begin with the facts. It is a fact that Pope Francis or someone in his advising group specifically sought out Davis and set up this meeting. It is also a fact that the two had a conversation about Davis’ actions and spoke to some degree about same-sex marriage and the right of an individual to claim religious liberty. It is pure speculation that Pope Francis did in fact say the aforementioned words to Davis, and it is unconfirmed precisely what was said during those brief minutes.
There is no speculation, however, as to the message this meeting sends to same-sex couples, Catholics in general, and the rest of the world, no matter what religion. The Vatican’s message tried to calm down the mass speculation that the Pope was supporting Davis’ defiance of the law of the land, and Pope Francis did some dodging when he responded to Moran’s question by discussing human rights. But is it not now, in the U.S. and many other countries, a human right to get married, no matter what sexual orientation?
Religious liberty is what makes the United States a free and progressive country and it has built up a nation in a few hundred years by opening up opportunities for all. There is a fine line, however, between religious liberty as a tool to include others and provide opportunities and resources, and using religious liberty to become a bigot and deny others rights that have been passed down by the highest law in this country, the Supreme Court.
Davis is an example of a person who is bending the law to fit her desires, not her needs. It should not concern her if a couple desires to get married because the Supreme Court is the lawmaker of the country, not Davis.
Pope Francis failed to send an accepting message on this trip to the U.S. which is unfortunate in light of our new laws legalizing same-sex marriage. If he truly did say the words he did to Davis, then Catholics, we have a problem. If you identify with the Catholic faith, then your newest leader and shepherd of the faith has basically openly defied his calls for acceptance and supported a woman plastered on the news for defying a law and using her bigotry as a stunt.
Pope Francis has done a lot to change the tide of Catholicism in a positive direction since his installment as Pope, but this is an issue that must be cleared up immediately. It is not enough for the Vatican to claim nothing significant happened in that meeting. It would be infinitely more beneficial if Pope Francis made a statement himself explaining this visit, and explaining that although religious liberty is a beautiful thing, it’s quite different from loving and accepting everyone regardless of sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status.
