The Vatican now has an anime mascot

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Important takeaways

  • Vatican unveils first ever mascot, Luce, inspired by pop culture to appeal to youth.
  • Luce designed for the 2025 anniversary year, symbolizes forgiveness, hope and pilgrimages.
  • The anime-style mascot that divides Catholics makes its debut at the 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 has a yellow raincoat, a pair of muddy green boots, and a shepherd's staff. Luce's announcement has drawn a lot of support, disdain and a flood of memes, shared opinions online.

Here's everything 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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Luce – Anime mascot for the Roman Catholic Church

Luce was designed as a “child-friendly” mascot for the Roman Catholic Church's upcoming jubilee year of 2025, a time of forgiveness, hope and pilgrimage. The name “Luce” means light in Italian, and the mascot was created by brand creator Tokidoki Simone Legno, who is inspired by graffiti and Japanese art. She was created to appeal to young people, who have grown up watching Japanese animation, and invokes the chibi style of anime art, featuring cute, wide-eyed, large heads with stubby arms and legs. Her raincoat, staff and muddy boots are a nod to the fact that Luce is a pilgrim, while her rosary is the quintessential symbol of Christianity. The blue hair is believed to be a reference to the Virgin Mary's blue veil.


The highlights in Luce's eyes are in the form of scallops, 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 weren't so impressed, a divide that seems to stem mainly from generational differences. Although 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

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