Pope apologises for slapping hand of woman who grabbed him

A devotee unexpectedly seized his hand and pulled him towards her as the Pope greeted a crowd of pilgrims in Vatican

Francis used his New Year’s Day homily to denounce violence against women, which he compared to profaning God

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A frame grab taken from a handout video shows a lady grabbing at Pope Francis’ hands in Vatican City. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:25pm, 1 Jan 2020Updated: 3:44pm, 2 Jan 2020

Pope Francis apologised on Wednesday for having angrily slapped a woman’s arm when she had grabbed hold of his hand and yanked him towards her, saying he had lost his patience and set a “bad example”.

His unusual apology came after he used his first homily of the new year to denounce violence against women, which he compared to profaning God.

Francis, 83, had a sharp encounter with a woman on Tuesday evening during a walkabout in St Peters Square.

The pilgrim, who has not been identified, unexpectedly seized his hand and pulled him towards her, causing him evident alarm. A clearly disgruntled Francis wrenched himself free by slapping down at her arm.

“So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologise for yesterday’s bad example,” the pope told thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday at the end of the traditional New Year Mass.

He had used the service to issue a forthright condemnation of the abuse of women in modern society.

Pope Francis apologised for slapping on the hands of the woman in the image who had grabbed his arm as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year's Eve. Photo: AFP

“All violence inflicted on women is a desecration of God,” he told a packed St Peter’s Basilica.