Why Pope Francis refused to let worshippers kiss his ring

Pope Francis has revealed why he repeatedly pulled his hand away from a long line of worshippers trying to kiss his papal ring.

The pontiff was blasted by conservatives when footage of his awkward interactions went viral this week.

"The Holy Father told me that the motivation was very simple: hygiene," Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said.

"He wants to avoid the risk of contagion for the people, not for him."

Mr Gisotti also said Francis has “a great joy in meeting and embracing people”.

The pontiff was greeting Catholics at a shrine in the Italian town of Loreto on Monday when he was filmed rejecting their kisses.

The video sparked debate between conservatives and progressives.

LifeSiteNews, a conservative Catholic website that often criticises the pope, called the episode “disturbing”.

The article also included a long history of the rings popes wear and their significance.

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!”

But papal biographer Austen Ivereigh defended the pope, 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.”

Another defender, Jesuit priest Russell Pollitt, tweeted: “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.”

The papal ring is a powerful symbol of a pontiff's authority and is destroyed when a pope dies to indicate the end of his reign.