Originally published at crisis magazine
I assume, charitably, that readers of Crisis are not terminally online, or not as online as I am at least. Most are probably only dimly aware of a controversy that broke out on social media last week when the Vatican released its official “mascot” for the 2025 Year of Jubilee, an anime-inspired character named “Luce.” “Luce” is a female character whose name means “light” in Italian.
The Vatican introduced Luce at a comics convention in Italy, with the goal of engaging “the pop culture so beloved by our young people” and speaking “to younger generations about the theme of hope,” according to a Vatican official. This mascot was introduced the day before the feast of Blessed Chiara Badano, whose nickname was “Luce,” and might also be intended to invoke her. You can see what it looks like here.
Reactions to this “mascot” were swift and divergent. Some love it and see it as cute, especially younger Catholic women; others found it kitschy and lowbrow, unsuitable for the grand artistic traditions of Catholicism. For some, it appears demonic in inspiration, while a few saw it as a sort of grooming attempt to lure young Catholics. Many whom I respect felt it
