Key Takeaways
- Vatican unveils first-ever mascot, Luce, inspired by pop culture to appeal to youth.
- Luce designed for 2025 Jubilee Year, symbolizing forgiveness, hope, and pilgrimages.
- Anime-style mascot divisive among Catholics, debuting at Lucca Comics & Games convention.
In one of the most humorous and inexplicable events of 2024, the Vatican (the literal headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church) has announced a brand-new mascot created to pique the interest of a younger demographic: an anime girl. The chibi-style mascot is a blue-haired girl named Luce, who sports a yellow raincoat, a pair of muddy green boots, and a shepherd’s staff. Luce’s announcement has drawn a lot of support, contempt, and a torrent of memes, dividing opinions online.
Here’s all you need to know about the Vatican’s brand-new anime mascot – the Vatican’s first-ever mascot – created by Italian pop artist Simone Legno.
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Why Was Luce Created?
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Luce was designed as a “kid friendly” mascot for the Roman Catholic Church’s upcoming 2025 Jubilee Year, 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. She was created to appeal to the youth, who have grown up watching Japanese animation, and invokes the chibi style of anime art, which features cutesy, big-eyed, big-headed designs with stubby arms and legs. Her raincoat, staff, and muddy boots are a nod at the fact that Luce is 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 blue hair covering.
The highlights of Luce’s eyes are in the shape of scallops, a symbol of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. While some anime-loving Catholics were entertained by the premise that the Church now has an anime mascot, others were not so impressed, a division that appears to be primarily due to generational differences. While the mascot has already been revealed online, her official debut will be at the Lucca Comics & Games convention in Lucca, Italy, in the first week of November. She will also appear at the 2025 World Expo, which will be held in Osaka, Japan.
Source: Forbes