God’s hands are never used for violence, Pope Francis said. “I can’t imagine God slapping us,” the pope said.
Pope Francis, Homily, November 12, 2013
The Pope is taking a lot of heat for this, and he has apologized. Don’t faint, but PopeWatch is going to come to his defense. We forget that popes are human, just like us. Some of them, perhaps most of them, and Pope Francis is clearly in that category, do not appreciate being grabbed any more than most of us, and will get angry if they are. PopeWatch does not believe this tells us anything significant about the Pope other than that fact. It is of course at odds with his carefully crafted public image of the smiling Pope, but we already knew that behind the scenes he is something of a grouch, has a temper and is often hard on subordinates. It would be nice if all us had the grace and patience of the Pope’s namesake, but history tells us that Saint Francis was so exceptional that he was the first person God granted the stigmata to. Pope Francis is clearly not in that category, along with almost all of humanity. There are better things to criticize the Pope about, as PopeWatch will be amply demonstrating this year.
Of course some people in public life enjoy interacting with people more than the Pope apparently does:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtvR8V0CBi0
Hmm. The woman was saying something, and I wonder what it was.
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He said he was sorry for being a bad example. I’m not certain that is an apology.
I wonder if it was something about his terrible deal with the Chinese Communist Party which just announced the Bible must be changed to match their party doctrine…
I have heard rumors to that effect, but nothing more than that. Interesting the way she crossed herself as the Pope approached. I hope she comes forward for an interview.
I think it was the pulling him back toward her (and the crowd) that got her hand slapped, not whatever she had to say.
I’m grateful he didn’t use any bouncer moves on the woman. No headlock or world class knee drops….just a little patty-cake with the old gal.
Good restraint PF.
See Matteo Salvini’s take on the event
https://twitter.com/matteosalvinimi/status/1212403373976231936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1212403373976231936&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnhardt.biz%2F
Ernst, I agree. Her pulling him back abruptly probably startled him and he certainly doesn’t seem very steady on his feet to begin with. I can’t totally blame him for his reaction. Her action was a bit too aggressive. He ain’t a young pup anymore. Me? I’m going to cut him a bit of slack. He did apologize.
Would any of Francis’ modern predecessors have treated this woman this way under the same circumstances? No. It would have been one thing if the pope had merely yanked his arm away, which would have been the more natural reaction. But he made a concerted effort to get in this woman’s face, call her a bitch (allegedly), wait about two seconds, and slap her hand. While this woman got too excited and shouldn’t have done what she did, the pope clearly used this as an opportunity to display his trademark cruelty toward people who he perceives as being beneath him.
He does deserve credit for apologizing. It was a weak and vague apology, but an apology nonetheless.
One of the reasons this event happened is that in recent times we have had celebrity Popes who like politicians running for office are expected to go forth among the “sheep” and shake hands in order to get the necessary public relations boost. Popes should stop doing that and act as befits their high office – writing seldom, and speaking less seldom, and then ONLY about faith and morals, dogma and doctrine.
That said, the Asian woman did unbalance him in footing; it looked as though she wrenched his arm. Equally, the Pope’s reaction was unbalanced in tone and demeanor. His true face shown through for all the world to see. That sour-puss look he had as he turned away from this woman is his true persona. So was the woman wrong? Yup. But the Pope more wrong because he is expected to be tolerant, kind, inclusive and non-divisive, supporting equal gender rights and placing women on a pedestal of superiority to men (that’s the liberal agenda he’s been touting). But it blew up in his face. I say good. Serves him right. I don’t wish him a torn shoulder or a trip on the pavement, but he got the publicity he truly deserved. And yes, thank God he didn’t actually fall as Benedict XVI did at Christmas Eve Mass in 2009 when a crazed woman jumped the fence at Mass and toppled him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NaEoNXPI-s
Just imagine however if Benedict had called that woman a bitch.
Here’s one website’s definition of “bruja”. I wouldn’t want my mother, sisters or wife to be called that (any of the definitions) by anyone much less than the “pope”. His true character was on display.
https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-meaning-of/spanish-word-bruja.html
I slept through four years high school and two years college Spanish. The Spanish word “bruja” means witch/enchantress, not “bitch.” Still, I wouldn’t want to call any lady that.
In charity, we don’t need to pile on. He has done enough to raise my hackles. This is trivial. We all have weaknesses.
The behavior of that women was very disrespecfull.It look like the Pope was was caugth by surprise and reacted naturaly. Idont blame him.
No, Elaine, the woman’s behavior was not disrespectful. Overly aggressive in her excitement, yes. But not disrespectful. It was actually the pope who was disrespectful in his behavior. It would have been a natural response if he had yanked his arm away and sternly admonished her from where he stood. But no, he went out of his way to be cruel to her.
If St. John Paul or Benedict had acted this way in the same circumstance, we would all be shocked.
This is what has me so baffled by some who are normally the pope’s harshest critics willing to give him a complete pass on this.
Are you kidding me? He is supposed to be God elect; the Pillar of the church. He is supposed to be The holy man. You wouldn’t see some guru going around slapping people with an expression of anger on their face. This is no holy man. But nice try for your pitiful excuses for his pitiful behavior. You know you’ve lost when you have to make a case of humanity for someone, no, not someone, the Pope, who intentionally physically assaults a woman.
He is supposed to be God elect
Ridiculous, Catholics have never thought the Pope to be “God elect” which is a truly blasphemous formulation. To call this an assault by the Pope on the woman who grabbed him is ludicrous.