Vatican teams up with Tokidoki for its cute li’l mascot ‘Luce’—and the internet can’t handle it

Luce is designed to captivate the hearts of the young (and young at heart) and guide them towards faith and hope.

Amid the rise of Labubu dolls, Crybaby plushies, and other cute toy collectibles, another little kawaii character has caught the eye of the internet. Mind you, this raincoat-clad, anime-inspired girl has a mission that goes beyond trends.

Meet Luce, the new pop culture-inspired mascot of the Catholic Church for its jubilee year celebration in 2025. 

Luce, which means “light” in Italian, made her debut on Oct. 28 at a press conference at the Holy See Press Office in Rome. She was introduced by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Vatican’s chief organizer for next year’s jubilee—a special celebration of the church that occurs once every 25 years.

He said Luce was inspired by the church’s desire “to live within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.” She is part of Vatican’s goal to bring younger generations closer to the Catholic Church while building a sense of community and belongingness across all age groups.

The Vatican has indeed brought together Gen Alphas, Gen Zs, and Millennials on the internet by collaborating with Tokidoki creator Simone Legno to illustrate Luce. In case you didn’t know, Tokidoki has been in the global lifestyle industry for 19 years. Since its debut in 2005, the Japanese brand has been amassing a huge intergenerational following for its eye-catching pop art characters that appear on products such as apparel, bags, accessories, and toys.

Legno and the Vatican depicted Luce as “typical traveler,” and an adorable one at that. She wears a yellow sailor’s raincoat, which symbolizes “divine protection on the pilgrimage towards eternity.”  The choice of color is a nod to the Holy See’s flag, which is half-yellow and half-white. 

Luce travels with a pair of muddy boots representing humility and the long, difficult path she has traveled. It comes in the color green, which symbolizes hope. On her neck are colorful rosary beads signifying a life lived in prayer. She holds a pilgrim’s staff, or a “bordone,” with her right hand that “evokes the arduous journey of a pilgrim.”  

The mascot’s eyes glimmer with scallop shells, which were used to guide pilgrims along Camino de Santiago, or “the way of Saint James,” on the way to the Cathedral of Santiago in Spain. The shell have become a symbol of pilgrimage and the power of faith. Fischella, meanwhile, described Luce’s shining eyes as “a symbol of the hope of the heart.”

Just like any little girl, Luce has her own set of “pilgrim friends”—Fe, Xin, and Sky—who are equally lovable. Their bright jackets and accessories reflect their varied personalities. Apart from them, Luce is accompanied by her guardian angel Iubi, dog Santino, and dove Aura towards her goal to guide young pilgrims toward faith and hope.

Legno likewise introduced Luce to his Instagram followers, as well as that of Tokidoki, and expressed how honored he was to collaborate with the Vatican. “To be honest, I could never have imagined that I would bring my humble artistic contribution, pop-culture, kawaii-culture to the Holy See. I am extremely grateful to the Dicastery of Evangelization for opening its doors to my art,” Legno wrote in his post. “In my work, I am fortunate to engage with many cultures of the world, constantly searching for a contemporary and universal language that I strive to bring into my compositions. I hope that the pilgrim Luce and her traveling friends can represent the sentiments that resonate in the hearts of the younger generations.”

Joining the fun are the rest of Luce’s gang comprising her friends, guardian angel, and pet dog Santino. Photo: Simone Legno/Instagram

Luce surely captivated many hearts, with Legno’s post being flooded by comments such as “I’m excited to share this with my little ones. They will definitely relate to the style, and if it brings them closer to our faith, I am all for this. Well done. What a blessing,” and “They’re cutie pies! Glad to see Christians getting anime art at last.”

Social media users also clamored for merchandise—not just Luce, but also her friends and dog. They commented, “Sell ‘em!!! I need one,” “OMG Santino, I need him,” and “Please, we want to buy them now.” Others asked, “Will all of the characters be for sale?” and “Does anyone know if they will be available to buy? So cute!”

Over at X, Luce has inspired a massive amount of fan art and memes—from those that turned her into a huggable doll to an anime character fighting enemies by “the power of God and anime.”

Despite delighting many of the online masses, there were also those who denounced the use of a cartoon character to represent the Catholic Church. Some described the move as foolish and demoralizing, while others said it’s useless.

There were also those who pointed out the main purpose of Luce: to draw people closer to the church, specifically the younger generations.

Luce is scheduled to make her public debut at the Lucca Comics and Games convention, which will take place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 in Italy. After that, she is heading to the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, to represent the Vatican‘s pavilion with the theme “Beauty Brings Hope.”

Related story: How Labubu dolls became the ‘It accessory’ we never saw coming