Post by priest

So is brushing our teeth in the morning.

Human beings ritualize everything. I can only speak with respect to the Pope's veneration of the statue of the baby Jesus. This is something that takes place on Christmas Eve every year as the statue is placed in the manger. The Pope carries the statue to the manger, venerates the statue with a kiss, and places the statue in the manger. It is nothing more than showing reverence for the Holy Image of Jesus Christ—an act of piety. If we all knew the gift of God, we would all seek to reverence the image of Christ with a kiss.

I still can't speak as to what is happening in the other image, but can assure you there is no ritual in the Catholic Church that resembles whatever is being depicted.