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Eugene

(62,660 posts)
Thu Jan 2, 2020, 07:16 PM Jan 2020

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

Source: CNN

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

By Livia Borghese and Sheena McKenzie, CNN
Updated 0238 GMT (1038 HKT) January 2, 2020

Rome (CNN) — Pope Francis has apologized for slapping a woman's hand to free himself from her grip while greeting children and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on New Year's Eve.

The incident occurred as Pope Francis made his way to the Nativity scene in Vatican City. On Wednesday, the Pontiff apologized for losing patience with the worshiper before using his New Year's Day address to denounce violence against women.

"Love makes us patient. So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologize for yesterday's bad example," he said.

The Pontiff continued in his address: "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.

"Every form of violence inflicted upon a woman is a blasphemy against God, who was born of a woman."

-snip-


Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/01/europe/pope-francis-slap-woman-apology-intl/index.html

______________________________________________________________________

Source: Washington Post

Most of us are bad at apologizing. The pope just showed us how it’s done.

By Ruth Marcus
Deputy editorial page editor
1/2/2020, 4:59:44 p.m.

Is there a better illustration of the frayed state of our collective nerves than the fact that the pope slapped a woman’s hand? Is there a better example of how we should deal with our inevitable imperfections than the pope’s swift and un-caveated apology?

Watch the video of the pontiff outside St. Peter’s Basilica on New Year’s Eve and you can understand both how the woman forgot herself and why the pope reacted so strongly. He is walking down the rope line, stopping to shake hands with the cheering throng: an elderly nun in her black habit, children in their winter hats, a girl on her father’s shoulders who lifts her arms in triumph after the pope reaches over the crowd to touch her hand.

The woman crosses herself and folds her hands, as if in prayer, as the pope draws closer. She stares intently, but he has begun to turn away. She reaches out and grabs him, with one hand, then another. She yanks him backward and will not let go. The pope slaps her hand — once, and then again. He turns away, glowering.

“Frankly, the pope kind of lost it,” Catholic writer John Allen Jr. told CNN.

Really, haven’t we all? “Love makes us patient,” the pope said the next day, veering from his scripted homily. “So many times we lose our patience. Me too, and I apologize for yesterday’s bad example.”

-snip-


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/most-of-us-are-bad-at-apologizing-the-pope-just-showed-us-how-its-done/2020/01/02/711aea90-2d99-11ea-bcb3-ac6482c4a92f_story.html
13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Pope Francis apologizes for slapping woman's hand on New Year's Eve (Original Post) Eugene Jan 2020 OP
I'm no fan of the Pope but...... Skittles Jan 2020 #1
... Major Nikon Jan 2020 #2
heh Skittles Jan 2020 #4
Instinctively hit women? No. I haven't ever lost it, actually. AtheistCrusader Jan 2020 #5
oh NONSENSE Skittles Jan 2020 #7
Actually it's a bizarre physical reaction. AtheistCrusader Jan 2020 #8
I find the entire pope charade uttlerly ridiculous Skittles Jan 2020 #9
His reaction was quite proportionate; "in self-defense" seems a good description muriel_volestrangler Jan 2020 #10
The reaction being justifiable doesn't make it any less hypocritical. Act_of_Reparation Jan 2020 #12
Conservative Trad Catholics Dorian Gray Jan 2020 #11
I agree with that assessment Skittles Jan 2020 #13
Better physical security needed here. He has some, but obviously, not good enough. No Vested Interest Jan 2020 #3
Turn the other cheek, Your Holy Dudeness... MineralMan Jan 2020 #6

Skittles

(159,374 posts)
1. I'm no fan of the Pope but......
Thu Jan 2, 2020, 07:53 PM
Jan 2020

"Haven't we all (lost it)?" Yes we have. I think what he did was instinctive.

Skittles

(159,374 posts)
7. oh NONSENSE
Fri Jan 3, 2020, 05:26 PM
Jan 2020

he smacked her hand away when she wouldn't let go - natural reaction

abusive? HELL no

and I don't believe you for one second

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
8. Actually it's a bizarre physical reaction.
Fri Jan 3, 2020, 06:15 PM
Jan 2020

If someone has a-hold of me, I just pull my hand away.

The whole thing is kind of amusing though, don't you think? 'Trust in god, but ride around in an armored ballistic lexan popemobile'.

I actually don't care what you believe. I did start a fight once in the 6th grade, with a boy. Since then, zero physical violence except in self-defense. (unless you count shit like using a cutting torch on a stripped bolt or something)

Skittles

(159,374 posts)
9. I find the entire pope charade uttlerly ridiculous
Fri Jan 3, 2020, 07:43 PM
Jan 2020

but he is human, and we HAVE all"lost it", meaning doing or saying something we quickly regretted - unless you are a ROBOT. Plus I imagine being reached for as often as the Pope may change your perspective of what is "bizarre"

over and out

muriel_volestrangler

(102,500 posts)
10. His reaction was quite proportionate; "in self-defense" seems a good description
Sat Jan 4, 2020, 10:39 AM
Jan 2020

She grabbed his hand, and yanked him back to her (hard enough for him to mouth "ow" ). She's probably 40 years younger than him. The point is she was gripping too tight for him to "just pull his hand away". So he slapped at her hand which was still holding him.

And he was also, of course, not riding in the popemobile, but shaking hands etc.

I'm no fan of the RC church, but his reaction at the time was understandable, and his apology arguably more than needed, but giving it anyway shows him sticking to the theoretical requirement of his religion.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)
12. The reaction being justifiable doesn't make it any less hypocritical.
Mon Jan 6, 2020, 11:23 AM
Jan 2020

This was a very human, but very un-Papal reaction. If that seems unfair, it's only because of the standard the RCC sets for itself.

Dorian Gray

(13,718 posts)
11. Conservative Trad Catholics
Mon Jan 6, 2020, 06:50 AM
Jan 2020

are using this to justify their hatred for him. They're calling him a monster. It's bizarre.

The hand slap may have been uncharitable. (As pope, I'll say he should have patience for people who want to be near him and touch him.) But we speak about body autonomy, and if someone was grabbing at me like that, I'd slap the shit out of their hand.....

Skittles

(159,374 posts)
13. I agree with that assessment
Wed Jan 8, 2020, 11:37 PM
Jan 2020

and patience is one thing, but it is always jarring to be grabbed by a stranger no matter who you are

No Vested Interest

(5,196 posts)
3. Better physical security needed here. He has some, but obviously, not good enough.
Thu Jan 2, 2020, 10:20 PM
Jan 2020

Last edited Sat Jan 4, 2020, 02:24 AM - Edit history (1)

The U.S. Secret Service would not have let this happen.
The man (Pope Francis) is in his 80's and physically vulnerable should he fall.

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