‘The Last Supper’… ‘The Creation of Adam’... Luce the anime girl?
Step aside classic Catholic art, the Vatican’s got a new mascot, and her name is Luce.
Luce, whose name means ‘light’ in Italian, debuted at Lucca Comic and Games, a video game and fantasy convention in Italy similar to Comic-Con. Luce will represent the Catholic Church as its mascot for the 2025 Jubilee, a holy year of hope, faith, and forgiveness occurring every 25 years, in which millions of pilgrims visit Rome.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who is organizing the 2025 Jubilee, said that Luce (and her cohort of cutesy friends) is all part of a new strategy on the Vatican’s part to engage youth by using “the pop culture so beloved by our young people.”
Will it work?
Who is Luce?
With giant, glistening eyes, brightly colored clothes, and a big smile, it’s hard to deny that Luce is cute.
Luce (and her cadre of friends and faithful dog Santino) are the work of popular Italian artist Simone Legno, who was commissioned by the Vatican and who designed her with Japanese anime in mind.
Luce was “created from the desire to enter into the world of pop culture” according to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, and though her design is unabashedly cute, it’s also full of symbolism.
The yellow raincoat and muddy boots, for example, represent the lengthy pilgrimage many will take during Jubilee 2025. And the scallop shells in her eyes symbolize the Camino de Santiago, a lengthy route taken by pilgrims, once a Roman trading route, where scallop shells are commonly found.
A Kid-Friendly Pivot
A games and comic convention may seem a strange place for a faith one billion strong to unveil a new mascot. But it’s all part of the Catholic Church’s latest attempt to appeal towards the younger generation.
The Catholic Church held a special event to debut Luce at the Lucca Comics and Games convention, where she was a big hit. She will also represent the Vatican at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, next year.
Participating in these events “will allow us to speak to younger generations about the theme of hope, which is more central than ever in the evangelical message,” says Archbishop Fisichella.
Reactions Roll In
Reactions to Luce were mixed online, though there was a single common denominator amongst most responses: Surprise.
After the shock wore off, many admitted they adored the new design.
But others viewed it as a cynical attempt to give Catholicism a kid-friendly rebrand.
And some even found it demonic, pointing to the similarities between ‘Luce’ and ‘Lucifer’ as proof of some sort of sinister motive.
But most of the responses? Good ol’ fashioned memes.
What do you think of Luce? Since her debut, fan art of her has flooded the internet. But do you think her cutesy design will actually bring more young people to the Catholic faith?
And was this necessary? Did the Catholic Church really need an anime-inspired mascot? Should a faith’s values speak for itself, or is a little marketing okay - even for one of the world’s biggest faiths?
5 comments
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Reverend Paula Copp
This is probably the most pathetic excuse of a plea to renew the church as I could possibly imagine! Japanese style Anime? Seriously, WTH?
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Rev. BH
Other than the creepy, empty eyes and the barbecue fork, I guess she's OK. Reminds me of a Teletubby.
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Colleen McAllister
Much ado about nothing
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John Condron
It does seem like the Catholic church ought to avoid any suggestion they are trying to entice children.
What's next? Candy from a windowless white van?
It's what churches and families do best. They teach children the reality of Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy, Then they entice them with Religion because children are so vulnerable. The children later come to realize the first two are false, but indoctrinations continue with the other one with threats of Hell if they stop believing. It's actually mental abuse, and even more so if the indoctrination is Islam.
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