Internet Goes Crazy Over The Vatican's Unveiling Of An Anime-Styled Mascot

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The Vatican, on Oct 28, 2024, unveiled a new mascot for the Holy Year 2025. The mascot, whose design is very reminiscent of anime characters, is named Luce (Italian for Light).

The mascot was designed by Simone Legno, the Italian co-founder of the pop culture brand tokidoki, known for his love of Japanese pop culture.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella who announced the mascot, explained the motivation behind Luce, highlighting the Church’s intent “to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.

Legno, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to the ‘Dicastery for Evangelization’ for opening its doors to pop culture, and hoped that Luce can resonate with younger generations.

Social media erupted with reactions with the unveiling. Many joked about how they were able to see the Vatican releasing an anime mascot before the release of GTA 6, while others humorously declared that God and anime both will help them carry through the tough times.

Disbelief and awe were common among netizens who certainly did not see this coming.

Meanwhile, some fans also pointed out a resemblance between Luce and Ai Ohto, a character from the anime series Wonder Egg Priority, citing similarities in their dress and hair color.

Luce and her pilgrim friends – Fe, Xin, and Sky – will debut this week at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy’s celebrated convention for all things comics, video games, and fantasy. This marks the first time a Vatican dicastery will participate in such an event.

It was also revealed that Luce will represent the Holy See at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, where the Vatican pavilion is set to host the famed 17th-century painting The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio.

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