She has blue hair, muddy boots and wears a yellow raincoat. Meet Luce, the official Vatican mascot for the upcoming Jubilee Year.
Designed by Italian illustrator Simone Legno, Luce, which means “light” in Italian, is drawn in the anime style with hopes of attracting a younger generation.
Every detail on the figure is symbolic. Her yellow raincoat reflects the color of the Vatican’s flag, while her dirty boots symbolize her journey as a pilgrim with her missionary cross and pilgrim staff guiding her. Luce’s bright eyes feature a scallop shell, a traditional symbol of a pilgrimage.
“The memes are good,” Ian Holmes, 21, a junior at Towson University who will travel to Rome for the jubilee, said. “It’s good for evangelism. I’m down to get a Luce souvenir.”
Three anime friends, Fe, Xin and Sky were also created to travel with Luce on her journey as was a dog, Santino.
“My friend who doesn’t know much about Catholicism asked me, ‘What is going on? Why did the Vatican make an anime?’” said Abigail Arhems, 19, a sophomore at TU headed to Rome, too.
“I feel the church did it to engage the younger generation,” Ben Tarnosky, 20, a junior at TU who is also headed to Rome, said. “If a little anime is doing anything, it’s sparking conversation.”
Email Katie Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org
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