Catholic Organization Launches 'Pokemon Go' Knockoff App

A Catholic organization has launched a new app modelled after Pokemon Go, in which players find [...]

By Christian Hoffer

A Catholic organization has launched a new app modelled after Pokemon Go, in which players find saints and add them to their evangelical team.

The new app, named Follow JC Go!, was Fundación Ramón Pané, an evangelical group focused on helping "educational, missionary, and spiritual training." The app was designed with the Church's annual World Youth Day in mind, which takes place in Panama in 2019, to help young people learn about the Catholic Church's history and teachings.

The app acts very similarly to Pokemon Go, utilizing AR technology to show a player's avatar moving through the real world. Players can find saints and other major religious figures like Moses as they travel, and need to answer questions to add them to their "e-team." Players also collect food, water, and "spirituality" in lieu of Poke Balls, berries, and potions.

The app also encourages players to periodically pray when they pass real world locations like churches or hospitals. They can also choose to donate to charities via the app.

According to the Catholic news site Crux Now, the app was designed using the input of over 40 theologians and historians, who put in over 32,000 work hours into research and development. The game also cost approximately $500,000, which came from private donations and sponsorships.

While Follow JC Go! wasn't made by the Catholic Church itself, Pope Francis is allegedly a fan of the app. "You know, Francis is not a very technological person, but he was in awe, he understood the idea, what we were trying to do: combine technology with evangelization," Fundación Ramón Pané executive director Ricardo Grzona said.

The app is currently only available in Spanish, but English and Portuguese versions will be released in the coming weeks.

Since its release in 2016, Pokemon Go has been mimicked by countless apps, including games using Garfield and Jurassic Park. Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, is developing a new AR app based on the Harry Potter series of books.

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