The Vatican is getting down with the children for its Jubilee 2025 celebrations by launching a brand new anime-style mascot for kids, designed by the Italian artist Simone Legno.
The jaunty little character, referred to as Luce, wears a yellow hooded raincoat with a beaded rosary and was designed with the “intention of reflecting popular culture, well-liked amongst younger folks, and brings with it a message of hope and welcome”, mentioned the Holy See in a press release. The person behind Luce, Legno, can be fairly happy concerning the Vatican collaboration. “I may by no means have imagined that I’d deliver my humble creative contribution, pop-culture, kawaii-culture to the Holy See,” he wrote on-line.
However not everyone seems to be eager on the quirky new mascot. “I believe it’s a deeply evil image and shouldn’t be seen,” mentioned a contributor on the social media platform X, who added: “The title Luce could be very near Lucifer and he or she carries a witch’s accent.” Christ almighty!
• Jubilee 2025, from 24 December
