The Vatican’s new ‘pop culture’ anime mascot raises eyebrows [Video]

We’ve seen plenty of brand mascots over the year, but the Vatican unveiling an anime-style cartoon design wasn’t on our bingo card for 2024. Archbishop Rino Fisichella has revealed ‘Luce’, a new friendly face for the Catholic Church’s jubilee next year.

With electric blue hair and a bright yellow coat, Luce (Italian for ‘light’) looks straight out of an anime TV show or video game. And the Vatican is making no secret of its desire to reach out to young people, declaring its intention to “to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.” For more inspiration, take a look at our guide to character design.

Luce was designed by Japanese lifestyle brand tokidokicofounder Simone Legno, who has depicted the character dressed as a pilgrim with mud-stained boots and a cross, since the theme of the 2025 …