The New Year's Hand Slap: Why It's Disconcerting
On New Year's Eve, a small Chinese woman grabbed the hand of Pope Francis who in turn slapped hers twice in order to free himself. The look on his face was visibly angry. The video has gone viral. It seems that no one is without commentary either in defense or in outrage against Pope Francis. There seems to be no middle ground. Those who defend Francis primarily use the argument that he is old and frail. The woman in question should not have grabbed him and pulled him so forcefully. Both these statements I agree with. Yet to say that Francis was completely justified in his reaction is to ignore his larger pattern. The list of examples demonstrating his anger and contempt toward faithful Catholics is far too long. He has a history that is disturbing. He attacks traditional Catholics as having a mental disorder. He ignores the concerns of the faithful while granting audiences to those who are openly against Catholic teaching. He fails to deny that he holds heretical positions.