Pope Francis Apologizes for Getting Annoyed at a Woman Who Grabbed His Hand

Pope Francis is in the news for losing his patience at a woman who grabbed his hand and tugged him towards her when he was done greeting a group of devotees. This was during a visit to the Vatican’s nativity scene on Tuesday night. 

This news comes as a big surprise as Pope Francis is known to have a cool temperament. When compared to other Popes of yesteryears, Pope Francis is known to have a modern outlook towards several issues plaguing our society. Keeping this in mind, losing his cool especially at a woman has intrigued his followers. The video of him angrily interacting with the woman has gone viral on social media. 

The Pope was greeting children and appeared to be in a cheerful mood. While he was turning back, a female follower grabbed Pope Francis’ hand which caused him to literally trip. She held his hand for some time that seemed to have caused pain to him. The annoyed pope snapped at her hand twice after which she let him go.

Here’s the video:

 

The Pope publicly apologized for this act. While offering a mass at the Vatican he especially laid emphasis on virtues such as “patience.” He said, “It happens to me too. I apologize for the bad example given yesterday.”

Followers were divided witnessing the Pope’s reaction. One said, “I'm not a Catholic, but the woman is wrong. It even seemed as if the Pope experienced pain at one moment.” In contrast, another said, “Yikes. She was totally wrong but his reaction was not very Pope like.”

Ironically the Pope’s mass at the Vatican centered on the subject of women and how violence is inflicted upon them through various platforms. He said that women’s bodies were “sacrificed on the profane altars of advertising, of profiteering, of pornography.” He also said, “By how we treat a woman’s body, we can understand our level of humanity.”

Similar cases have emerged in the past wherein fans and followers tried to make contact with their idols leading to some unpleasant situations. While engaging with followers is one of the prime tasks of public personalities, followers shouldn’t cross boundaries especially while making physical contact with them. 

Interacting with followers can be quite a daunting task more so for personalities who are aged. The Pope had tripped while the lady caught hold of him. It is understandable that the Pope lost his cool in such a situation as he was about to lose balance which could have led to an uncomfortable situation. Fans also need to adhere to protocol while interacting with their idols. They can’t drive their idols into uncomfortable situations in order to fulfill their own desires.

It is commendable of the Pope to apologize publicly for losing his cool. “I apologize for the bad example yesterday … sometimes even I lose patience,” he said. By expressing himself publicly the Pope has displayed his vulnerable side and proved that he would react like any other human when pushed to extreme situations. Like always, he’s taken a clear stand on this situation too.