When greeting pilgrims at the Vatican on New Year’s Eve, Pope Francis apologized for slapping a woman’s hand.
During his New Year message to a full St Peter’s Square, the pontiff acknowledged that he also experiences moments of impatience, referring to the incident as setting a bad example.
Addressing worshipers gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Pope Francis emphasized the significance of respecting women and the atrocities they face, stating, “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.” He continued, “Every form of violence inflicted upon a woman is a blasphemy against God, who was born of a woman. I apologise for the bad example yesterday … sometimes even I lose patience.”
It is worth recalling that a viral video captured a woman seizing his hand and pulling him toward her. In response, the aggravated Pope struck the woman’s hand in an attempt to free himself.