The Vatican now has an animated mascot

Key Takeaways

  • The Vatican has unveiled its first pop culture-inspired mascot, Luce, to appeal to young people.
  • For the Jubilee year of 2025, we designed Luce, which symbolizes forgiveness, hope, and pilgrimage.
  • An anime-style mascot that debuted at the Lucca Comics & Games convention has caused division among Catholics.



In one of the most humorous and inexplicable events of 2024, the Vatican (literally the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church) announced a new mascot created to appeal to young people: an anime girl. The chibi-style mascot is a blue-haired girl named Luce, wearing a yellow raincoat, mud-green boots, and a shepherd's staff. Luce's announcement divided opinion online, sparking a torrent of support, disdain and memes.

Here's everything you need to know about the Vatican's new animated mascot, the Vatican's first mascot, created by Italian pop artist Simone Legno.


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Luce – Roman Catholic Church animated mascot

Luce was designed as a “kid-friendly” mascot for the Roman Catholic Church's upcoming 2025 Jubilee, which is marked by forgiveness, hope and pilgrimage. The name “Luce” means light in Italian, and the mascot was created by Tokidoki brand creator Simone Legno, who was inspired by graffiti and Japanese art. She was created to appeal to teenagers who grew up watching Japanese animation, evoking the chibi style of anime art, featuring stubby arms and legs, cute big eyes, and a large head design. Her raincoat, walking stick, and mud boots are a nod to the fact that Luce is a pilgrim, while her rosary is a typical symbol of Christianity. The blue hair is thought to refer to the Virgin Mary's blue head covering.


The highlight of Luce's eye is the scallop shape, a symbol of the Camino de Santiago. While some anime-loving Catholics are intrigued by the premise that the church now has an animated mascot, others are less impressed, a divide that appears to be largely due to generational differences. The mascot has already been revealed online, but its official debut will take place in the first week of November at the Lucca Comics & Games convention in Lucca, Italy. She is also scheduled to appear at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan.

Source: Forbes

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