With his penchant for crowd-pleasing and spontaneous acts of compassion, Pope Francis has earned high praise from fellow Catholics.
Hell, even atheists love him — as shown by the surprising displays on affection tweeted after the Pope publicly embraced a severely disfigured man on Wednesday.
Here’s what some atheists had to say on Twitter:
I may be an atheist, but there’s something about Pope Francis that makes me want to be Catholic. He’s so inspiring.
Victoria Lund (@vlund33) November 7, 2013
Gotta say this devout atheist is a big fan of Pope Francis: after kind words for gays, women, poor and unbelievers, he now embraces the sick
NeilMackay (@NeilMackay) November 7, 2013
You guys know, Im about as atheist as they come. But man, this new pope continues to impress me.
Melissa (@OhBegonia) November 7, 2013
I’m a staunch atheist but I think Pope Francis @Pontifex is a pretty cool cat.
Siân Boyle (@sian_boyle) November 7, 2013
So I’m a militant atheist, but I think Pope Francis is awesome! Truly someone who embodies Christ’s teachings.
Aniket Sharma (@aniketksharma) November 7, 2013
In another twist, this atheist is becoming a fan of the current pope. Full props to him. What is this world coming to, see next RT.
Carol V (@CarolLuvsHockey) November 7, 2013
I’m an atheist, but am still impressed by many of Pope Francis’ actions so far
Nigel Warburton (@philosophybites) November 7, 2013
I’m a devout Atheist, but so far I love Pope Francis.
Curtis Harrison (@CurtisHarrison8) November 7, 2013
I’m an #Atheist but now I got respect for #pope.
Vel Muruga (@KVelmuruga) November 7, 2013
Daniel Burke | CNN
