Pope Francis reportedly had a private meeting with Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, on his recent trip to the United States and Cuba.

It is reported that Pope Francis invited the government official and her husband, after the widespread media coverage on her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Kentucky.

Kim Davis’ lawyer, Mathew Staver, said that his client met had a 15 minute private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican Embassy in Washington DC. While the Pope’s camp hasn’t confirmed the meeting, Staver said that Pope Francis “thanked her for her courage” and told her to “stay strong”.

On the Pope’s return to the Vatican, he told journalists that it was a “human right” for government officials like Kim Davis to deny same-sex couples marriage licenses if it conflicted with their religious beliefs.