Your anime-loving friend will be thrilled to hear this: the Vatican recently introduced its new mascot, a character that has ignited social media simply by being… anime. But why did this happen? Does Jesus like Attack on Titan? Is Jesus a Shinigami? Let’s dive in.
Why is the Vatican’s new mascot an anime character?
The Vatican recently stunned the online world by introducing Luce (Italian for “light”), an anime-style character designed by Simone Legno, co-founder of the pop culture brand tokidoki.
The Vatican has unveiled the official mascot of the Holy Year 2025: Luce (Italian for Light).
Archbishop Fisichella says the mascot was inspired by the Church’s desire “to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.” pic.twitter.com/hVU2CmYA3O
— CatholicTV (@CatholicTV) October 28, 2024
Luce was created to appeal to younger audiences and to help guide visitors during the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.
As part of its ongoing efforts to connect with younger generations, the Vatican revealed Luce as a way to blend with pop culture and make its message more relatable and relevant. The mascot will make her debut at the Lucca Comics and Games convention.
Enough time has passed…
It’s Luceing time!#Luce #vatican #Kagurabachi https://t.co/2vKaKtf2yD pic.twitter.com/RRUTfA4oZq— 𖤓𝖘𝖊𝖔𝖍𖤓 (@Seoh_Officiall) October 30, 2024
According to her backstory, Luce is a young pilgrim wearing a yellow raincoat, mud-stained boots, and a pilgrim’s cross. Her eyes glisten with shells, representing the scallop shell of the Camino de Santiago.
Seems Luce was a huge success for the Vatican. pic.twitter.com/L1kzmKbweD
— Steven Mackey (@stevenmackeyman) October 30, 2024
Each part of her design carries spiritual meaning: the hood represents divine protection, the muddy boots signify humility and the challenging path of a pilgrim. According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), Luce even has friends, adding diversity to her character.
As expected, the internet had a field day, flooding social media with humorous comments about Luce and her divine role. Will she succeed in drawing young people to the Church? Time will tell.
Luce vs False Prophet #Luce #vatican #mascot #fanart pic.twitter.com/6SvnQgTPuS
— popsziclez (@popsziclez) October 30, 2024
catholic halloween is crazy like what do you mean you’re the vatican’s anime mascot?? pic.twitter.com/5rR7kZuPWa
— Maria Oswalt (@RehumanizeMaria) October 29, 2024
This article was originally written in Spanish by Alan Cruz in Cultura Colectiva
