The Vatican has unveiled Luce, an anime-inspired mascot for the 2025 Jubilee, designed to engage young people. While some find her endearing, others criticize her as “unsuitable.” The mascot's design and symbolism are rooted in the history of Christian pilgrimage, reflecting the traditions and souvenirs associated with journeys to sacred sites.
Luce , the anime-inspired official mascot for the Catholic Church ’s 2025 Jubilee , whose name means “light” in Italian, has been generating significant buzz on social media . While some individuals find the cartoon endearing and “cute,” others express reservations, deeming her “unsuitable” or even “repugnant.” The Vatican unveiled Luce at a comics convention in Italy, with the intention of engaging young people and conveying the message of hope.
Designed by Simone Legno, the mascot, characterized by large blue eyes, blue hair, and rosary beads adorning her neck, embodies a Catholic pilgrim. She is adorned in pilgrimage garments that have been customary attire throughout history. Her badge, the Pilgrimage of Hope, identifies the 2025 Jubilee. It features blue, green, yellow, and red figures embracing a cross that culminates in an anchor at its base, a potent symbol of hope. The figures coalesce to form the outline of a ship traversing waves, evoking imagery of travel. The symbols carried by Luce serve as a poignant reminder of the historical significance of pilgrimage in numerous faith traditions. This concept has been a subject of my longstanding interest, culminating in an exhibition and book titled “Pilgrimage and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam” in 2010. The origins of Christian pilgrimage can be traced back to visits to the Holy Land, the sacred site where Jesus lived. This pilgrimage was meticulously documented by an individual who became known as the Anonymous Pilgrim of Bordeaux. His diary, “The Bordeaux Pilgrim,” penned in 333, recounts his journey to the Holy Land during a time when the basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the location where Jesus was laid to rest and believed to have resurrected, was still under construction. Luce carries symbols that have been inextricably linked with pilgrimage in Europe since the 12th century, particularly those associated with the shrine of St. James in northwestern Spain. This Holy Land pilgrimage established a tradition among Christians of not only visiting these sacred sites but also returning with tangible souvenirs, such as a stone from the Holy Land, water from a well, or even a piece of cloth or a statue that had touched Christ’s tomb. A sixth-century painted box, now housed in the Vatican, contains fragments of soil and stones as mementos of places in the Holy Land.
Catholic Church Jubilee Mascot Luce Pilgrimage Symbolism Anime Social Media
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