This week, Pope Francis visited a Catholic shrine in Loreto, Italy. He repeatedly withdrew his right hand as a long line of people lowered their heads and tried to kiss his ring. The tradition of kissing the pope’s ring is hundreds of years old and is meant to show respect and obedience, the Washington Post explains. The images of Francis withdrawing his hand spread quickly on social media. The pope's refusal became an issue of debate among Catholics. LifeSiteNews, a Catholic website that often criticizes the pope, called the event disturbing in the headline of an article. That article included a long history of the rings that popes wear and their importance in Catholic history.