Starting The New Year With Slaps

Actually the incident happened yesterday, captured in video.  The pope was shaking many hands in the crowd beyond the barrier.  A woman, for whatever reason, would not let go of his hand and she could be heard saying something loudly.  Some speculation was that she was pleading for Chinese Catholics, whom Pope Francis threw under the bus to appease the communist government.



At any rate, he can be seen striking the woman twice and then stomping away, with quite a scowl on his face.  While doing so, he exclaimed "Bitch!  Hands!  Hands!"  In today's Angelus address, he apologized for "yesterday's bad example".

A lot of people are trying to justify the pope's actions yesterday, stating that he's elderly and shouldn't be jostled about like that.  Assuming that's true, then why does he insist on glad-handing the public?  What happened to him also happened to his predecessors.  As I recall, Pope St. John Paul II was shot while doing that.  Thereafter he rode in the pope-mobile.  Additionally, where was his security detail while all this was transpiring?  I saw one push the woman back, but only after the pope was walking away.  Why were they passive throughout this incident?

Speaking of man-handling, let the video below jog some memories of the altar boy incident of several years ago.  Has this young man received his apology?



So many might deserve apologies:

• Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Immaculate
• Cardinals Brandmuller, Burke, Muller
• Former Grand Master of the Order of Malta
• The woman whom he rebuked for "breeding like rabbits"
• Those whom he mocked as "rosary counters"

That list could go on and on.

At Mass today, Father urged us to pray our Rosaries at least once daily.  Amen!  2020 is already looking like it's going to be a bumpy ride!