Hmmm, I think that Pope Francis is going to be even stricter but in a truly loving way. I think that he will call all Catholics to live their vocation, truly and genuinely but especially priests. I understand their perception, St. Francis is known as a very kind person who loved all of God’s creation and he took his name. St. Francis also embraced poverty.
Pope Benedict had the reputation of being God’s Rotweiller so the perception was that he was tough and mean, maybe even dangerous. I didn’t see his papacy that way at all.
BXVI was almost too humble and self effacing. Among the wolves at the Vatican and those outside, his honorable innocence was seen as making him vulnerable. And they succeeded in bringing him down.
I actually don’t think Francis is going to give that impression. To me, Pope Francis seems totally devoted to Jesus, to Our Lady and to the Church - but at the same time, very shrewd and cautious and firm.
When I saw him in Rome, I didn’t think of St Francis but of St Paul.