A video filmed during Pope Francis' day trip to Loreto, Italy, on Monday that shows the pope pulling back his hand during a parade of Catholics seeking to kiss his ring has gone viral... and the Vatican has stepped in to respond to the video.
He said the pope was concerned about hygiene after greeting dozens of people and pulled his hand away to discourage people from kissing his ring.
The act of kissing of the pope's ring is a Catholic tradition symbolizing respect for the office causing many to criticize the pope for disrespecting the tradition.
Francis says his motivation was only to avoid the risk of spreading germs.