Pope Francis apologizes for slapping woman's hand on New Year

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

Pope Francis 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 toward her, causing him evident alarm. A clearly disgruntled Francis wrenched himself free by slapping down at her arm, Reuters reported.

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