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Reuters
Reuters
Lifestyle

Disgruntled Pope Francis pulls himself free from woman's grasp

A woman grabs Pope Francis' hand and yanks him towards her, at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican in this still image taken from a video, December 31, 2019. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS.

ROME (Reuters) - A visibly indignant Pope Francis had to pull himself away from a woman in a crowd in St Peter's Square on Tuesday after she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards her.

Pope Francis was walking through the square in Vatican City and greeting pilgrims on his way to see the large Nativity scene set up in the huge, cobbled esplanade.

After reaching out to touch a child, the pope turned away from the crowd only for a nearby woman to seize his hand and pull her towards him. The abrupt gesture appeared to cause him pain and Francis swiftly wrenched his hand free.

Pope Francis slaps the hand of a woman who grabbed him, at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican in this still image taken from a video, December 31, 2019. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS.

The woman had made the sign of the cross as the pope had approached. It was not clear what she was saying as she subsequently tugged him towards her.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

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