Francis isn't a conservative catholic. That's been obvious from the beginning. But his high approval ratings suggest the world doesn't want a conservative pope.
Theology isn't about popularity ratings. If one accepts church tradition apart from scripture as a source of authority (I do not), then deviating from it very much is heresy, regardless of how popular those deviations are. I can't say I know enough about Catholic dogma to say for sure if Francis has crossed that line or not, but he definitely seems to be trying to push at the limits.
