No, Really, You Shouldn't Have...

My first reaction to this: Just WTF were you thinking ?  But, then, hey, what's that around Francis' neck ?  It would seem to be the very same symbol on the necklace, apparently also presented by Morales.  So, maybe Francis doesn't look that closely at symbols before he puts them around his neck ?*  Maybe he's short-sighted ?  The whole thing is fuckin' weird.

Bolivian president Evo Morales presents a hammer and sickle-shaped crucifix to Pope Francis during the exchange of presents in La Paz.

Photograph: Agencia Boliviana de Informacio/EPA

Vatican officials appear to have been flummoxed after Pope Francis was presented with a communist crucifix depicting Jesus nailed to a hammer and sickle by Bolivia’s president Evo Morales.

The gift from the leftwing leader caused an immediate stir among conservative Catholics who said the pontiff was being manipulated for ideological reasons.

The response of the pope was less clear. After being handed the wooden crucifix during a formal ceremony, he examined it for a few seconds before returning it to a Bolivian presidential aide.

His comments were largely drowned out by a flurry of camera clicks, prompting a flood of speculation. While some have claimed he expressed irritation, muttering the words “eso no está bien” (“this is not right”), Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the pope was more likely to have uttered “eso no sabía bien” (“I didn’t know that”) in bemusement at the origins of the present.

The Bolivian government insisted there was no political motive behind the gift. Communications minister Marianela Paco said Morales had thought the “pope of the poor” would appreciate the gesture.

* But, but, Luís Espinal.  Yeah, I read the same article.  Whether said crucifix of said Jesuit priest would have necessarily been recognised by or appreciated by Francis, who knows ?