The Dicastery for Evangelization of the Vatican, led by Prefect-Proprefect Archbishop Salvatore Rino Fisichella, presented its first anime mascot for the Jubilee Year 2025 at a press conference on Monday, October 28. According to a statement from the Vatican, Luce — which means light in Italian — "was developed with the aim of reflecting pop culture, popular among the youth, and carries in itself a message of hope and hospitality." The mascot was created by Italian artist Simone Lenzi, co-founder of the popular Japanese brand.
The first mascot for the Jubilee (Holy Year), a special celebration of the Catholic Church, occurs once every 25 years. The Jubilee Year 2025 is centered around the theme "Strangers of Hope." Luce will be presented in the form of a mascot, reminiscent of the light of God and the path to Him.
"This is a great honor to announce a historic project for the Vatican," the artist commented Lenzi on his page on Instagram. At the same time, the design of the mascot was detailed: the cloak symbolizes "divine protection on the pilgrim's path to eternity," while its yellow color reflects the flag of Saint Peter.
The original bottles represent the serenity and difficult path of pilgrims, and their green color symbolizes hope. The cloak clearly represents life, full of deep prayer, while the stick for walking evokes associations with the hard journey of a pilgrim and the spiritual pilgrimage of life." I could hardly imagine that I could bring my hidden artistic contribution, pop culture, and kawaii culture to Saint Peter," concluded Lenzi.
