The reason why cats like to pat people’s faces may be because they like to interact with people. Cats will sometimes tap people on the face or head with their paws, which may be their way of signaling that they want your attention. It may also be because they think the human face is an interesting thing and want to explore it. However, sometimes cats will use their claws to attack people's faces. This may be because they feel threatened or afraid, so they want to defend themselves.
In general, the reasons why cats pat people’s faces are complicated, maybe because they want to interact, explore, and express Emotional or defensive. If your cat is constantly slapping you in the face, you can try observing their behavior and discuss it with your veterinarian or animal behavior expert to understand the reasons behind their behavior.