"new pope" was introduced by popa-cola in 1985, after blind faith tests suggested consumers preferred the sweeter taste of competing drinks like popesi-cola, but soda drinkers reacted negatively to the change. within three months the vatican re-released the original papal formula, rebranded as "popa cola ecclesiasti-classic," which resulted in a significant sales boost. the new sweeter formulation was renamed "pope ii" and was fully discontinued in july 2002.