UPPER EAST SIDE — As Americans vie for a chance to see Pope Francis when he visits this month, the pontiff's likeness has been making appearances in New York, Philadelphia and Washington in the form of a cardboard cutout called "Pop-up Pope."
This week, the cardboard pope was seen on East 64th Street in front of Regency East and on East 62nd Street outside of the Church of Our Lady of Peace, which was one of dozens of parishes shuttered by the Archdiocese of New York last month.
Friends of Our Lady of Peace posted Twitter photos Tuesday of people posing with the "Pop-up Pope."
Habemus Papum! #PopUpPope is big hit on E. 62nd #UES #NYC. #Pray the 54-Day #Rosary @ 6:30 @auntytem & @bede_bede301 pic.twitter.com/LMAiyENVHU
— Friends of OLP NYC (@FriendsOLPNYC) September 2, 2015 Friends of Our Lady of Peace Church — a group organized to raise funds for the church that merged with St. John the Evangelist — called parishioners down to the steps of their former parish on East 64th Street Monday on Facebook:
"Since we weren't able to get a priest, we figured we might as well get #PopeFrancis! So come on down to the steps tomorrow for Evening Prayers, Candle Lighting (after the rosary), and a selfie with our very own #PopUpPope."
The mission of the "Pop-up Pope" is to promote Catholicism, its beliefs and the upcoming papal visit using social media with #popuppope to build interest.
