Mano Po si Papa

Mano po is a wonderful Filipino tradition. It is often translated to "kissing the hand" but the hand or mano (in Spanish) actually touches the forehead rather than the lips. It, most likely, was an adaptation of kissing the ring of bishops.
Both the "mano po" and kissing of the bishop's ring is a sign of respect for the elder and the office of bishop being a representative of Jesus. At the same time, it is also a plea for blessing.



Pope Francis kissed the hand of a priest with questionable advocacy. He is old. One doesn't have to put much more into the gesture other than respect for elders. It's the same with the Holocaust survivors. We accord respect to elders whether they are nice, cranky, and what have you.

Photo from mundabor.blogspot.com

Of course, Pope Francis could, in turn, give his blessing. I don't know if he did but during his first address with the media, he withheld his apostolic blessing.



Gestures do transmit a message which could have different interpretations culturally. In Thailand, one bows to people with your palms together. It would be a praying hand for Christians, but for the Buddhists, it was a sign of respect. Of course, there will be limitations in adopting other cultures. We should be comfortable and in accord with the meaning it conveys.