Popemoji: New app creates modern Pope Francis emojis ahead of visit to U.S.

In anticipation of Pope Francis' long-awaited visit to the United States, Swyft Media developed an app featuring "popemoji."

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MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - People have already downloaded the free Popemoji app featuring the current pontiff, who is known as tech-savvy, controls his Twitter account and even poses for selfies with the public. So far reviews of the app reflect the public's excitement over the impending papal visit.

For Android and iOS powered devices, Swyft Media has offered a keyboard app that offers 52 pope-themed images and 14 animated GIFs. The images include Pope Francis eating a hot dog and taking a selfie. 

Though he has not yet visited Philadelphia nor New York City, Pope Francis was depicted in the multimedia cartoons eating a famous Philly cheese steak, ringing the Liberty Bell and visiting the Statue of Liberty. 

"Popemoji" is free for each device.

"We worked really hard to have his persona and his emotion and his fun charismatic attitude come through in each one of the emoji," said Evan Wray, co-founder of Swyft Media.
 
"Popemoji" was commissioned by the global Catholic network Aleteia, under their "Good is Winning" initiative, according to an ABC30 report.

"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.," said founder of the Sports Media Challenge, Kathleen Hessert. 

Although it is rather unconventional, Sports Media Challenge sees the keyboard app as an effective way to engage more people to participate and spread the excitement of the papal visit.

Pope Francis has over 7 million followers on Twitter, where he freely posts notes on belief, faith and even societal issues.

His Holiness' first visit to the United States will begin the 22nd of this month.

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