Pope Francis has been filmed repeatedly pulling his hand away and not allowing people to kiss his Papal ring.
The Pontiff was on a visit at an Italian pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary at Loreto and was greeted by a long line of devoted visitors.
He greeted worshippers on Monday and in a traditional sign of respect, they attempted to kiss the Papal ring.
But video footage showed Francis bizarrely pull his hand away from each person one after the other as they tried to kiss the ring, which bears a silver cross.
The Papal ring is a symbol of the Pope’s union to the church.
A Vatican aide said he had been reportedly “amused' by all the reaction.
The aid said: “Sometimes he likes it, sometimes he does not. It’s really as simple as that”.
The viral video footage has divided people on social media, with some opting for a conservative approach and some favouring tradition.
Rorate Caeli, a website read by Catholic traditionalists, Tweeted: "Francis, If you don't want to be the Vicar of Christ, then get out of there!"
Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh, a supporter of Francis, countered by Tweeting: "He's making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He's the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor."
"It's high time kissing bishops' rings disappears altogether. It's just ridiculous and has nothing to do with tradition. It's an import from monarchies. Much of the pomp around bishops should be ditched," Tweeted Jesuit priest Russell Pollitt.
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