The Vatican now has an anime mascot

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Key recommendations

  • Vatican unveils first mascot, Luce, inspired by pop culture to appeal to young people.
  • Luce was designed for the jubilee year 2025, symbolizing forgiveness, hope and pilgrimages.
  • The anime-style mascot that is divisive among Catholics, debuting at the Lucca Comics & Games convention.



In one of the funniest and most inexplicable events of 2024, the Vatican (the literal headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church) announced a brand new mascot designed to pique the interest of a younger demographic: an anime girl. The chibi-style mascot is a blue-haired girl named Luce who wears a yellow raincoat, a pair of muddy green boots, and a shepherd's staff. Luce's announcement drew a lot of support, scorn and a torrent of memes, dividing opinion online.

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


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Luce – Anime mascot of the Roman Catholic Church

Luce was conceived as a “child-friendly” mascot for the upcoming 2025 jubilee year of the Roman Catholic Church, a time characterized by forgiveness, hope and pilgrimages. The name “Luce” means light in Italian and the mascot is the creation of Tokidoki brand creator Simone Legno, who is inspired by graffiti and Japanese art. It was created to appeal to young people, who grew up watching Japanese animation, and invokes the chibi style of anime art, which features cute, big-eyed, big-headed models with stubby arms and legs. Her raincoat, staff and muddy boots are a nod to Luce being a pilgrim, while her rosary is the quintessential symbol of Christianity. The blue hair is thought to be a reference to the Virgin Mary's covering of blue hair.


Luce's most prominent eyes are shell-shaped, a symbol of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. While some anime-loving Catholics were amused by the premise that the Church now has an anime mascot, others were not so impressed, a divide that appears to be primarily due to generational differences. Although the mascot has already been revealed online, her official debut will take place at the Lucca Comics & Games convention in Lucca, Italy in the first week of November. It will also appear at the 2025 World Expo, which will be held in Osaka, Japan.

Source: Forbes

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