Pope Francis preparing to lead the New Year's day mass on Wednesday (Jan 1) in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. - AFP
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis apologised Wednesday (Jan 1) 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 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.
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