Pope Francis was a globally beloved and respected figure during his twelve years at the helm of the Catholic Church. But he also generated a significant amount of controversy during his papacy – much of which, thanks to social media, played out visibly in real time.
After an initial “honeymoon phase” following Francis’s election, which he himself predicted wouldn’t last long, criticism began to flow in – reaching at times a cascade – when he started his serious decision-making, and it became clear that his papacy would mark a shift from the more conservative tone of his two immediate predecessors.
