Pope Francis has shared his regrets after he slapped the hand of a woman to free himself from her grip on New Year’s Eve.
The religious leader delivered his apology during his new year sermon after the video of him slapping the lady’s hand had gone viral.
In the video, the pope had been shaking hands with different people and when he’d stopped, he had been grabbed by an overexcited woman who had refused to let go, prompting the 83-year-old to slap her hand repeatedly till she did.
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“We lose patience many times. It happens to me many times. I apologize for the bad example given yesterday”. he said
“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.” he added
Watch video of the incident
Did @Pontifex over react? Does she deserve a slap? pic.twitter.com/1vSv0Anrr3
— Kris Cruz (@realKrisCruz) January 1, 2020
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