Prelates laud Pope’s apology for slapping woman’s hand

On Wednesday, Pope Francis apologized for slapping the hand of a woman who had grabbed his hand, which almost caused him to fall. (File Photo by Martin Schulz/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

MANILA — Members of the clergy on Thursday lauded the humility of Pope Francis for acknowledging his mistake after slapping the hand of a woman who grabbed his hand while he was greeting the Catholic faithful in Rome on New Year’s Eve.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the Holy Father showed that he is just like anyone, who also loses self-control and is sincere enough to accept his fault and apologize.

“We can see the honesty of the Pope. He is as human as any one of us. He also loses his composure but he is humble and honest enough to accept his mistake and he apologizes,” Pabillo said in an interview.

“We should also do the same when we make mistakes,” he added.

Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos said the pontiff’s kind gesture is worth emulating.

“We must not be afraid to say sorry and ask for forgiveness,” Santos said.

“This shows the humility of our Holy Father. He was very open to show his compassion and affection by being sorry. He stooped down and apologized,” he added.

According to Fr. Jerome Secillano of the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish in Sampaloc, Manila, the Pope’s expression of regret said it all.

“He realizes that it may not be the most prudent reaction in such a situation,” Secillano said.

On Wednesday, Pope Francis apologized for slapping the hand of a woman who had grabbed his hand, which almost caused him to fall.

“We lose patience many times. It happens to me, too. I apologize for the bad example given yesterday,” he said.