In hopes of sending a message of hope and welcome, the Catholic Church has created a new mascot to represent them. The Luce Vatican Anime Mascot has taken the internet by storm and will make a debut this week.
The mascot, Luce (which means “light” in Italian) appears as an anime girl with green boots, blue hair, and a yellow rain jacket. She was introduced on October 28th, 2024, for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, also known as their holy year. The Catholic Jubilee is a year-long period where the church emphasizes the “forgiveness of sins”.
Archbishop Fisichella announced that the Church’s belief in “Living even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth” is what inspired Luce. The Church also expressed hope that she will bring “a message of hope and welcome” to those of all ages.
Luce was designed by Simone Legno, the creator of the Tokidoki brand. It’s clear that the Catholic Church is taking a more modern approach to engaging with people. Especially due to the rise in popularity anime and manga have had in recent years.
Luce Makes An Appearance In Lucca Comic And Games Week
The Luce Vatican Anime Mascot will make her debut at the Lucca Comics and Games week in Italy. This runs between October 30th to November 3rd, 2024. It is a convention that celebrates the fantasy genre, video games, comics, and more.
The Church announced that it will also dedicate this celebration to “Luce and Friends.” In addition to Luce, Legno has created other mascots to represent the Vatican in this celebration. Including a bird, a dog, a matching girl with pink hair, and two boys.
For those who will not be in Italy at the time, fans all around the world are already making fanart of Luce. You can also check out our Source for this news piece for more information. If you want even more news, we have a piece covering the Ado Haibana 2025 World Tour In Partnership With Crunchyroll.
