National

POPEMOJI EXPECTED TO SPREAD #GOODISWINNING MESSAGE DURING PAPAL VISIT

Aletia.org commissioned emoji for iOS and Android

By Staff     9/16/2015

Popemoji has arrived for your smartphone just in time for the arrival of Pope Francis to the United States next week. Now you’ll be able to share your excitement about the papal trip with your friends, family and fans.

The special keyboard features, commissioned as part of the “Good is Winning” initiative by the global Catholic network Alteteia.org, show Pope Francis doing things Americans do. The images show the pontiff heading a soccer ball, taking selfies and visiting U.S. tourist destinations.

“Emoji are so ingrained in digital and social language, particularly among young people, that it was natural to make them an element of our digital effort to support Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S. Besides, the Pope has a great sense of humor, is totally approachable and dedicated to engaging people where they communicate,” said Kathleen Hessert, founder of Sports Media Challenge, which is overseeing the digital aspect of Aleteia.org’s effort. “By engaging millennials, we’ll enable new conversations throughout Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S, with the goal of keeping that community involved in a dialogue over the long term.

Pope Francis will arrive in the U.S. Sept. 22 and visit numerous locations including Washington D.C., New York City and Philadelphia during his 5-day trip.

The Popemoji features 14 GIFS and 52 emoji. It is available for free in the Apple iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.