Pope Francis had a secret meeting with a Christian American county clerk who was jailed for repeatedly refusing to allow gay couples to marry, her lawyer has cl

Kim Davis from Kentucky said she was refusing to let same sex marriages go ahead, despite a Supreme Court ruling legalising it in June, on 'God's authority'.

Her lawyer Mat Staver told CBS News Francis met with her and her husband at the Vatican Embassy in Washington during his visit to the United States last week.

The Vatican refused to confirm the meeting, but also said it would not deny that it had happened.

"Because we didn't want the pope's visit to be overshadowed with Kim Davis," the lawyer told the broadcaster.

Pope Francis told Ms Davis to "stay strong" during the encounter.

He also gave the couple rosary beads he had blessed, the lawyer claimed.

During his flight back to Rome Francis told reporters it was a "human right" for someone to refuse a job if it went against their conscience or faith.

"It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right," Francis said.