Vatican's New Mascot Created By Artist Who Designed Art For Sex Toys, Pride Merch

To celebrate the Catholic Church’s upcoming 2025 jubilee – a major event celebrated every quarter century, the Vatican has launched a new cartoon mascot named Luce- an anime-style young girl designed to capture the attention of and appeal to younger audiences, engaging them throughout the year. According to the CNA:

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Vatican’s chief organizer for the jubilee, described the mascot as part of the Vatican’s goal to engage with “the pop culture so beloved by our young people.”

The mascot will debut this week at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy’s celebrated convention for all things comics, video games, and fantasy, where the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization will host a space dedicated to “Luce and Friends.”

…Clad in a yellow raincoat, mud-stained boots, and a pilgrim’s cross, Luce’s mission is to guide young pilgrims toward hope and faith with her trusty dog Santino at her side. Shells glimmer in her eyes, recalling the scallop shell of the Camino de Santiago, an emblem of the pilgrimage journey.”

While it looks like a generic anime-style image that any mildly-skilled artist could draw, Luce was designed by Simone Legno, a prominent Italian artist who created the Japanese pop culture brand Tokidoki.

This is where the criticism starts.

Not only does Luce look suspiciously like Greta Thunberg, the darling of the Vatican who is beloved for her activism against climate change and capitalism, but the choice to employ Legno has been criticized because his portfolio includes extensive collaborations and promotion for PRIDE and promoting transgenderism.

Furthermore, according to Catholic Vote, “Tokidoki (frequently) partnered with Lovehoney, a brand specializing in adult sexual products, to create vibrantly packaged sex toys featuring Tokidoki characters.”

They note that “critics have expressed dismay that Legno, with a portfolio containing imagery discordant with Catholic morals, was chosen to create a mascot for the Catholic Holy Year Jubilee.”

Others have pointed out that a quick perusal of his Instagram page would give credence to his controversial offerings, as it features several half-naked women interspaced throughout his feed, and have questioned why he was hired when thousands of Catholic artists could have created a similar mascot.

What’s done is done, however, and Legno will will be able to say that he collaborated with the Vatican, therefore boosting his brand and business, and the Vatican will be able to make a ton of money off Luce merch in its various iterations.