Pope Francis apologises for slapping woman's hand after backlash

The 83-year-old pope has apologised after he slapped away the hand of a woman who grabbed him during a New Year's Eve appearance.

Pope Francis was unimpressed when a woman in the crowd grabbed his hand. Source: Reuters

Pope Francis apologised Wednesday for his widely-viewed slap of a woman who had grabbed his hand as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year's Eve.

The image of Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of the admirer was an instant hit on social media.

Read the full story in English here.