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Pope Bobblehead Video Rattles D.C. Archdiocese

Metro Pulls Video From YouTube

Thursday, April 10, 2008

The transportation agency for the nation's capital has pulled a promotional video from YouTube after the Archdiocese of Washington complained about the star: a Pope Benedict bobblehead doll.

The video aimed to encourage people to take Metro to next week's papal Mass at Nationals Park. But archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said many people would not have been comfortable with it.

The video, called "Strangers On A Train," featured a pope bobblehead who converses in Latin with another passenger about getting to the ballpark for the April 17 event, reported WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.

The video promoted a special one-day Metro pass and advised Mass attendees to plan for crowds and leave plenty of traveling time. It also instructed riders in Metro etiquette, like letting passengers exit trains before boarding and standing on the right side of escalators at stations. Watch The Ad

Metro's media relations director, Lisa Farbstein, dreamed up the video and said no offense was intended.

Metro expects to carry at least 25,000 people to and from Nationals Park for next Thursday's Mass.