The Vatican has unveiled a new mascot for the Catholic Church in the hope of engaging young people – a cartoon character named Luce.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s chief organiser for the church’s upcoming jubilee year, said the mascot was “created from the desire to enter into the world of pop culture, so beloved by our young people”.
Named after a Latin word for light, the mascot was designed by Simone Legno, the Italian co-founder of lifestyle brand Tokidoki, which is inspired by Japanese culture. He also designed Luce’s “pilgrim friends” Fe, Xin and Sky.
The archbishop described Luce’s design features as “the typical elements of the pilgrim”, pointing to her “shining eyes” and “symbol of the hope of the heart”.
“The image represents a happy union between Christian symbols and Japanese culture,” he added.
According to the Catholic News Agency, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization will host a space dedicated to “Luce and friends” at the Lucca Comics and Games convention in Italy on Wednesday.
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It marks the first time a Vatican dicastery has taken part in such an event, which the archbishop said “will allow us to speak to younger generations about the theme of hope, which is more central than ever in the evangelical message”.
Luce will also be the Vatican’s mascot for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, where the Holy See – the governing body of the Catholic Church – will host a pavilion in collaboration with Italy.
In the Catholic Church, the jubilee is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation and is usually celebrated every 25 years. It will begin on Christmas Eve 2024 and end on 6 January 2026.