Pope Francis apologized for slapping a woman’s hand after she yanked him toward her at the nativity scene in Vatican City on New Year’s Eve.
The encounter, which went viral, shows the pope, 83, greeting people and shaking hands on Tuesday when a woman grabbed his hand and pulled him to her as he was walking the other direction. He proceeded to scold her and swatted her hand away before moving on. It’s unclear who the woman is or what she said to him when she had his attention.
NOPE FROM THE POPE: While greeting people in St. Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve, Pope Francis had to pull himself away from a woman who grabbed his hand and yanked him toward her. https://t.co/umkpOnbbX6 pic.twitter.com/0XzxtWTMUd
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 31, 2019
Before beginning his traditional New Year’s Day address on Wednesday, the pope made some impromptu remarks and apologized “for the poor example yesterday.”
“So many times, we lose patience. Me, too,” he said. “I say, ‘Excuse me,’ for the bad example.”
He went on to denounce violence against women in his address, telling worshipers gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, “Women are sources of life. Yet they are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb.”
Pope Francis also mentioned gender equality during his sermon, telling the congregation that women “should be fully included in decision-making processes.”
