It has not even been a month since Pope Francis was elected but he already seems to be loved much more than his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI... even by social media users.

A number of iconoclastic gestures by Pope Francis have been documented in various memes – a term used for humorous combinations of images and texts shared online.

Unlike his predecessor, who was often mocked online, the memes about Pope Francis are almost all endearing, indicating that his appeal might be even more widespread than first imagined.

One of the more viral memes compared Pope Francis to comedy legend Woody Allen due to their similar facial features and spectacles.

Pope Francis’ humble wave from the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square when he was unveiled to the world was also humorously compared to the more bombastic waves by the last two Popes.

Other memes recorded the way Pope Francis insisted on riding on a bus with his colleagues instead of his private transportation and the fact that he insisted on going back to pay his hotel bill after becoming Pope.

While most of the photos used to poke fun at Pope Francis show him in a good light, this was not the case for Pope Benedict XVI, who was often mocked for having beady eyes. Pope Benedict XVI was often criticised on the social media for wearing Prada shoes and being against gay rights.

However, like his predecessor, Pope Francis is making an effort to engage with the social media, updating his Twitter account Pontifex (in at least six languages) and using an app for smartphones and tablets to allow people to keep track of his movements.