Luce: Jubilee cuteness to light up Expo 2025

With eyes shining as ‘a symbol of the hope of the heart’, the Catholic Church’s mascot for Jubilee 2025 has captured the imagination of young people. Almost immediately after her introduction late last year, Luce, the blue-haired anime-style pilgrim, went viral, inspiring incredible fan art, memes and conversations.

The theme of Jubilee 2025 is Pilgrims of Hope. Luce is a pilgrim of hope. From her name, ‘light’ in Italian, to her traditional pilgrim’s staff, she embodies guidance along the path of life towards eternity. The detail of the mud on her boots is a reminder that the path can be rough; you will get dirty. Her yellow raincoat offers protection against inevitable tempests, a symbol of hope, the beacon guiding us through uncertainty.

The mascot’s creation is a collaboration between the Vatican and Italian pop artist Simone Legno with the express intention of attracting the attention of young people. When he unveiled Luce, chief organiser of the Holy Year 2025 Archbishop Rino Fisichella said the mascot was inspired by the Church’s desire ‘to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth’.

Jubilee 2025 is for all Catholics, but reaching the hearts and minds of younger generations is vital for the future of the Church. And young people, in particular, are craving spiritual connection as they grapple with climate disaster, seemingly endless war and conflict, and social detachment exacerbated by living online. The Church’s Jubilee message offers an antidote to the hopelessness many are feeling.

Luce designer Simone Legno, writing on his Instagram account, said he strived to bring a universal language to his creations. He said he hoped Luce and her friends (she has three, representing faith, truth and transcendence, and a little dog, Santino) would resonate in the hearts of younger generations and give them the connection to the Catholic Church he himself had while growing up in Rome.

Luce represented the Holy See at the Italian Lucca Comics and Games in 2024, which was the first time that the Vatican officially participated in a comic convention. Now, she is about to feature at the Universal Exposition, known as Expo 2025, in the Japanese city Osaka, where the Holy See will have a pavilion hosted inside the Italian Pavilion. The Vatican’s Expo theme is ‘Beauty brings Hope’, which it says ‘underlines the transformative power of beauty in reawakening the desire for a better world’.

Alongside the Jubilee 2025 mascot will be one of the world’s greatest masterpieces, Caravaggio’s Deposition of Christ, which is owned by the Vatican. The early 17th-century painting depicts the body of Jesus being laid down by John and Nicodemus, in the presence of Jesus’ mother Mary, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Cleophas.

The juxtaposition of this historical Western religious artwork and the garish, anime-inspired Luce may at first appear strange. But it fits perfectly with the theme ‘Beauty brings Hope’: both convey messages of renewal and optimism. When Caravaggio painted Deposition in c. 1600, it was considered revolutionary in its realist style and use of colour and light. Luce and friends reflect contemporary Japanese culture, and the Vatican’s openness to diverse cultural expression.

Luce’s presence at Expo 2025 also ties in with the exposition’s own theme, ‘Designing the future society for our lives’, which has young people at its heart. Her representation of Pilgrims of Hope is a repackaging of the Church’s core values to speak to young people concerned about their future. Luce’s lighting of the way to fullness of life could resonate with a brand new audience, opening doors to a deeper interest in religion.

The viral spread of Luce across platforms like Reddit, TikTok and X slowed somewhat after the Vatican launch of the mascot, but the buzz appears to be growing again as the Expo approaches, if the number of fan art posts and memes is any indication.

The Vatican mascot has produced fascinating fan art. Artists are depicting her in various scenarios incorporating traditional Catholic imagery and modern pop culture references. One memorable meme takes the iconic ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene from the movie The Shining, where the crazed Jack Nicholson character chops though a door to get to his terrified family, and gives it a new, playful twist: Luce breaking through a door with her pilgrim’s staff with Satan cowering on the other side.

Other fan art includes Joan of Arc scenarios, Luce as a crusader or any number of warrior characters, or simply Luce safe in the arms of Jesus. She has even inspired a cryptocurrency token, appealing to blockchain enthusiasts—although the price of $luce has plummeted from $US0.27 to $US0.01, suggesting it is prudent to invest for fun not profit.

The more that young people engage with Luce, the more the sense of hope invoked by the Jubilee spreads. But the mascot is not without its critics. Some traditionalist Catholics are concerned about the commercialisation of faith. And many young people are sceptical too, questioning whether the Catholic Church should be utilising contemporary art in this way.

Nevertheless, the conversation continues to bring in people who may never otherwise have thought about Catholicism. One Reddit user wrote: “it’s a bizarre collab but I’m here for it”.