The visit of Pope Francis to the United States has already made some headlines for strange reasons, such as a petition asking the pontiff to bless the Washington D.C. Metro to get it to work, but it has also triggered a bizarre craze that has swept the nation. The viral fad has seen thousands of people post pictures of their dogs wearing papal outfits to social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram.
The hashtag #popedog has been trending for several days as people dress up their dogs in costumes similar to the type that the Pope would wear. According to those taking part, it is simply a way for them to combine two things that they love together.
“Everyone loves cute puppies, and everyone loves Pope Francis,” said John Scorr from Brooklyn. “In America, we like combining the things we love. Giles wanted to show his support for a more progressive pontiff. Also, I suspect the Holy Father himself would find it funny.”
Pope Francis is apparently unaware of the craze, though, with a Vatican spokeswoman confirming that: “I don’t know if he’s conscious of that. I imagine he has more important things to think about.”
