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meltzerboy2
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I agree: his reaction was inappropriate although spontaneous and very human.
Disgruntled Pope Francis slaps hand of woman who grabs him; later apologizes
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Irishmom2
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We agree then, meltzerboy. Happy new year to you, btw! 
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meltzerboy2
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And a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful New Year to you and everyone on CAF as well!
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Irishmom2
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This is the 4th thread on this. 
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Cathoholic
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Maelstrom1
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Maybe he thought she was American and could not resist… 
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Maelstrom1
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Also, I’ve heard people who’ve worked at the Vatican say that the Popes don’t really enjoy the kissing of the ring- someone slobbering on your hand- but it comes with the territory…
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Maelstrom1
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If the cameras were on any of us 24/7 we’d be in a world of trouble, I think.
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Maelstrom1
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No big deal. Meaningless in reality.
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fhansen
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Either way it takes a real man, or woman, to apologize. Instead of acting like we can never have anything to apologize for.
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DrawNearToGod
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St. Peter cut someone’s ear off.
St. Peter cut someone’s ear off.
Then repented and became St. Peter.
St. Peter cut someone’s ear off.
Then repented and became St. Peter.
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Maelstrom1
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A good Christian on one side or the other, asks forgiveness while the other forgives then they both move on. The sin occurs when neither side “gives”.
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TK421
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No. They’re trained for the situations the Pope encounters, which frequently includes ultra-enthused people, and they know the Pope is on camera at all times.
Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pope’s abrupt reaction was because she hurt him. Most 83-year-old men can’t have their arms yanked like that.
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VanitasVanitatum
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Why shouldn’t he?
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paperwight
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Of course he was right to apologise! Why on earth wouldn’t he? It looks bad enough, but imagine if he hadn’t apologised… Disaster!VanitasVanitatum said:AltarSoldier:
Why shouldn’t he?
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Weserthy
Guest
His security team seemed slow to react but I wouldn’t be surprised if Pope Francis has given them standing orders to go easy on even aggressive pilgrims, so they might have just been following orders during this incident.
Apologizing was the right move. I don’t think he was totally unjustified in the way he reacted, but he was clearly seething in the immediate aftermath. This in an age where people are used to expecting more of their leaders than the average person so seeing the Pope reacting like this was likely disconcerting for some people. It isn’t an unfair question to ask how another Pope might have reacted in this situation - would John Paul II have slapped her hand away and flashed a face of anger? While we’ll never know, I think that even Pope Francis realizes that he could have done better, which is something that can be commended.
Apologizing was the right move. I don’t think he was totally unjustified in the way he reacted, but he was clearly seething in the immediate aftermath. This in an age where people are used to expecting more of their leaders than the average person so seeing the Pope reacting like this was likely disconcerting for some people. It isn’t an unfair question to ask how another Pope might have reacted in this situation - would John Paul II have slapped her hand away and flashed a face of anger? While we’ll never know, I think that even Pope Francis realizes that he could have done better, which is something that can be commended.
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tafan2
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Who slobbers when they kiss a ring?
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tafan2
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It serms the Holy Father disagrees with you.
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paperwight
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Did nothing wrong? He slapped her hand twice. I understand he was provoked, and possibly in pain, but wouldn’t it have been better to tell her she was hurting him, and please to let go. And/or asked the security people to step in - gently., of course, as it seems to me she had mental health issues. His grumpy expression when he turned away was unfortunate, too, don’t you think?CorydonMundi said:paperwight:
Because he did nothing wrong? That woman deserved more than she got.
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SugarMagnolia
Guest
The Pope was only trying to free himself from the woman’s grip. She grabbed his hand as he was walking away and yanked him backwards. Then he tried to pull his arm away and she would not release her grip.
Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean she isn’t strong enough to hurt him. He is 83 years old. From his face and his body language, I believe she was hurting him. He was probably a bit frightened too. The woman’s behavior, whether intended or not, was violent. His smacks on her hand were a frantic attempt to free himself without hurting her.
As for the look on his face afterward, though difficult to behold, we must remember that the Pope is a human being with human emotions. He experiences pain, fear, and anger too. But since the cameras are always on him, what would normally be a fleeting facial expression is frozen into a permanent record. Imagine if someone were following Jesus around as he was turning over the money lenders’ tables. I’ll bet he wasn’t smiling the whole time.
Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean she isn’t strong enough to hurt him. He is 83 years old. From his face and his body language, I believe she was hurting him. He was probably a bit frightened too. The woman’s behavior, whether intended or not, was violent. His smacks on her hand were a frantic attempt to free himself without hurting her.
As for the look on his face afterward, though difficult to behold, we must remember that the Pope is a human being with human emotions. He experiences pain, fear, and anger too. But since the cameras are always on him, what would normally be a fleeting facial expression is frozen into a permanent record. Imagine if someone were following Jesus around as he was turning over the money lenders’ tables. I’ll bet he wasn’t smiling the whole time.
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