Francis leaves Hungary – strange hand gestures on departure

Does anyone know what this is about? Is it something he picked up from the crowd? Any comment from the newsies?

This is Francis leaving Hungary today.

Moderation queue is on.

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30 Comments

  1. Semper Gumby says:

    “Forget about the curve ball, Ricky. Give ’em the Heater.”

    Praise be, the Vatican has realized that baseball is the game God loves best.

  2. TomGrelinger says:

    “You get a migrant, and you get a migrant, and YOU get a migrant, and everybody gets a migrant!!!!”

  3. majuscule says:

    I do not know about the hands—but do study his facial expressions…

    I will refrain from commenting further!

  4. Semper Gumby says:

    The Vatican, after some initial doubts, is enjoying the weekly Chuck Norris double feature in the Paul VI Audience Hall.

    https://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/lmcgee/Chuck-Norris-knifehand

  5. Semper Gumby says:

    Bruce Lee chimes in:

  6. Not says:

    Maybe a flashback to when he was a soccer referee.

  7. Tantum Ergo says:

    This reminds me of Jesus’ writings in the sand, except this time it’s the Pope’s, and in the air. I think he’s pointing to bishops not willing to promote Traditiones Custodes, and he indicates with the squiggles that he knows their plots.

    Of course, I’m a little paranoid, and so am I.

  8. arga says:

    He seems to be individually acknowledging certain persons in the audience who no doubt he either knows or who are holding up a sign of some sort for which he is indicating appreciation.

  9. hilltop says:

    Hard to tell. It’s likely Joe Biden will know.

  10. Perhaps this is in preparation for the establishment of a Dicastery for Silly Walks.

  11. Kathleen10 says:

    He zeroed in on somebody. Private joke I guess. It looked like he spelled “t” then another letter or gesture. What’s that white blob that comes off his right hand after he waved. It floated to the upper left as we are looking at him. Looks like Casper.

  12. prayfatima says:

    Yikes didn’t want to finish watching it. I have no idea what is going on here.

  13. Mariana2 says:

    Someone has scored a boundary four, and is then blessed for it. (Cricket)

  14. Fulco One Eye says:

    I think it’s either the Macarena or the Hokey Pokey.

  15. Andrew says:

    These gestures are easily understood if you know what was discussed in Hungary regarding the issue of border control and the Pope’s position in the matter. No doubt this has to do with Francis’ comments about the bridge and the cross. On the other hand, Orban gave Francis a copy of a 13th century letter in which the king of Hungary asks for help from the Pope to resist a Mongol invasion. Orban asked the Pope not to let Christian Hungary perish.

  16. Percusio says:

    Well, I’ll take it the way I that is best for me, while perhaps stretching a little. The first two gestures are the same, he repeated himself in case they were off guard. He was saying, In order to get from here to there, heaven, you must accept the cross of Christ. Trouble is the C should have been backwards to him so that it appeared as a “C” oriented in the correct manner for the viewers. Good enough for me.

  17. Percusio says:

    Well, I’ll take it the way I that is best for me, while perhaps stretching a little. The first two gestures are the same, he repeated himself in case they were off guard. He was saying, In order to get from here to there, heaven, you must accept the cross of Christ. Trouble is the C should have been backwards to him so that it appeared as a “C” oriented in the correct manner for the viewers. Good enough for me.

  18. acardnal says:

    It’s a secret message to the CCP about bishops.

  19. Susan M says:

    I’m thinking it means, “Islam will conquer.”

  20. Lurker from the East says:

    My thoughts are similar to Andrew’s. It seems the first odd motion is a Cross, and the second at the end of the ‘bridge’ is a crescent.

  21. Macarius says:

    Mene, tekel, peres?

  22. Pingback: Canon212 Update: Francis Stinks up Slovakia – The Stumbling Block

  23. Dustin F, OCDS says:

    Illuminati confirmed.

  24. David Spaulding says:

    Well, the Pope certainly leaves ME “Hungary”…

    Spiritually, that is. :)

  25. Vera says:

    I think with the last two gestures he is drawing a plus and minus sign.

  26. Archlaic says:

    Is there perhaps a proper blessing for the Hapsburgs?

  27. theologiser says:

    Could the Pope be tracing the logo for the upcoming synod on synodality? The flourishes through the air look like the flourishes used to depict the Trinity in the logo.

    Perhaps it’s the secret (or not so secret) gesture for admittance to the synod.

  28. szabenko says:

    The interpreter of the Pope gave an interview in which he explained the gesture. As Francis approached the airplane, volunteers formed two walls to see him off. He asked them jokingly why they were standing there on either side, and remarked that they were like the sheep and the lambs standing on the left and the right. He pointed back at the volunteers from the door of the plane and referred back to what he’d said to them. (Left and right, plus and minus sign).

  29. Fr. Kelly says:

    @Szabenko, when I look back at the clip after reading your comment, I think you are right. It fits with his known humor to jokingly relegate half of his volunteers to the outer darkness where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

    I do find it interesting, however that it is those on his right who he condemns with the minus sign and the ones on his left who get the plus sign. hmmm…

  30. Archlaic says:

    Unofficial translation: “There are two types of Christians: the Sheep and the Goats… you rigid, ideological restorationists, who will probably post all sorts of mad theories about my farewell gestures on Fr. Z’s blog; you are like the Goats – Tu MINUS ad mihi!
    “And then there are the faithful Sheep, who meekly allow me to accompany them with mercy, and whose bishops avoid airports and thus smell like them… Sit tibi PLUS!”

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