Vatican launches pop culture-inspired mascot ahead of 2025 Jubilee celebration
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Luce, the official mascot for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, was designed by tokidoki creator Simone Legno.
PHOTO: SIMONELEGNO/INSTAGRAM
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The Vatican has launched a pop culture-inspired mascot ahead of its upcoming Holy Year celebrations in 2025.
Named Luce, which means “light” in Italian, the mascot was unveiled by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the organiser of the 2025 Jubilee, in a press conference on Oct 28.
Luce was designed by Mr Simone Legno, the creator of tokidoki
Described on the official Jubilee 2025 website as a “pilgrim dressed as a typical traveller”, Luce’s yellow-hooded coat (which references the Vatican flag) protects her from the elements, while her dirty boots “bear witness to the path she has already travelled”.
She wears a missionary cross around her neck and holds a pilgrim’s staff – a walking stick used by pilgrims – in her hand.
Luce’s eyes, which “shine with an intense light”, symbolise “the hope that is born in the heart of every pilgrim, and reflect the desire for spirituality and connection with the divine”.
Luce has several companions, including three other humans named Fe, Xin and Sky, as well as an angel, a dove and a dog.
Mr Legno said in an Instagram post that he could ”never have imagined that (he) would bring (his) humble artistic contribution... to the Holy See”.
“The Jubilee is undoubtedly a unique opportunity for encounter and dialogue for millions of people, including many young people,” he said in his post, with images detailing the other references that went into Luce’s creation.
“I hope that the pilgrim Luce and her travelling friends can represent the sentiments that resonate in the hearts of the younger generations.”
Citing Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Catholic News Agency reported that he described the mascot as part of the Vatican’s goal to engage with “the pop culture so beloved by our young people”.
The move was “aimed at reaching new generations and promoting intergenerational dialogue”, which not only represents the Jubilee, but is also a symbol of community, of welcome and of sharing, according to a statement on the official Jubilee 2025 website.
According to the Catholic News Agency, Luce will make her debut at the Lucca Comics and Games convention, which will be held from Oct 30 to Nov 3.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation will host a space dedicated to “Luce and Friends” at the Italian convention for comics, games and entertainment – the first time that a Vatican department is participating in a comics convention.
The Jubilee, or Holy Year, is usually celebrated every 25 years. It is one of the Roman Catholic Church’s most important events, and the Jubilee in 2025 is expected to draw tens of millions of pilgrims to Rome.
The 2025 Jubilee officially begins on Dec 24, with a mass presided over by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square.
A pope can also call for an extraordinary Holy Year to shine a light on a particular issue or celebrate a momentous event.
During a Jubilee, Catholics can obtain special indulgences, or remission of their sins, if they fulfil certain conditions and do good work or make pilgrimages.
The Vatican website says a Holy Year should be a time of reconciliation with adversaries and an occasion to promote solidarity, hope and justice in the world.
