A visibly angry Pope Francis, had to snack the hand of a woman who grabbed his arm at St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve.
Pope Francis was making his way to the Nativity scene at the center of Vatican City, when he decided to greet children and pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
According to a video sighted by LailasNews, as he walked away from the crowd, a woman grabbed his hand and yanked him toward her.
The abrupt gesture appeared to cause him pain and Francis slapped swiftly slapped at her hand before pulling his hand free.
Prior to the incident, the woman had made a sign of the cross. She addressed the 83-year-old pope as she took his hand but it’s unclear what she was trying to tell him.
Watch the moment below;
The heated encounter isn’t the first time the Pope has become upset during public events. Earlier this year, Pope Francis appeared to become irritated when a line of worshippers tried to kiss his papal ring, a common sign of respect that dates backs centuries. In a video, the Pope was seen pulling his hand away from 19 people who tried to kiss the ring.
The video was widely shared online and divided some within the Catholic community, with conservative critics accusing the Pope of showing “graceless” disrespect for the long-standing tradition.
