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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Francis says his motivation was only to avoid the risk of spreading germs. <br />
