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VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The mystery of the reason why Pope Francis repeatedly withdrew his right hand while a long line of people was bowing and trying to get away with it. kissing this week was resolved – he did not want to spread germs.
FILE PHOTO: A young man kisses the ring of Pope Francis at a meeting at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro on July 27, 2013. REUTERS / Stefano Rellandini / File Photo
"It was a simple matter of hygiene," Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti, who was directly questioned by the pope, told reporters on Thursday.
Gisotti explained that there were many people online and that the pope wanted to spread germs because one after the other repeatedly kissed his hand at short intervals.
Monday's images became viral on social media and were featured in nightly comedies in the United States.
The pope's refusal quickly entered what are known as Catholic cultural wars between conservatives and progressives.
A conservative Catholic website that often criticizes the pope called the episode "disturbing" and another said that the pope should resign if he did not like the rituals.
"He likes to kiss people and to be embraced by people," said Gisotti.
The spokesman said the Pope allowed people to kiss and ring in limited numbers, as he did with an elderly Italian nun at Wednesday's general audience, when Francis rewarded her for her decades of service to the poor in Africa.
Some Vatican observers have noticed that even the former Pope Benedict, hero of the nostalgic conservatives, and his predecessor John Paul, did not like to be kissed – at least not by long lines of people, for the sake of opportunity.
A papal badistant told Reuters on Tuesday that he was "amused" by all these stories.
Reporting by Philip Pullella, edited by William Maclean
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