Pope Francis apologises for slapping woman's hand

Pope Francis apologised on Wednesday for slapping a woman, who had grabbed him as he greeted a crowd of devotees, shortly before he delivered a speech denouncing “every form of violence against women.”

The image of a visibly annoyed Pope Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of an admirer as he walked by Catholic faithful on New Year’s Eve instantly went viral on social media.

An apology followed. “We lose patience many times,” the Pope confessed.

“It happens to me too. I apologise for the bad example given yesterday,” the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican.

The Pope was greeting children before the Nativity scene on Saint Peter’s square and was turning away when a woman cried out something, yanked his hand and almost caused him to fall.