The Catholic Church has dropped its own Labubu, and it’s called Luce! The cutesy anime-inspired character was recently unveiled by the Vatican as the official mascot of the Jubilee Year 2025, designed as part of an approach to connect with pop culture-loving youth.
But Luce, whose name means “light” in Italian, is not alone. She comes with her band of “pilgrim friends” Fe, Xin, and Sky—each rocking brightly colored jackets that match the Jubilee Year logo.
Luce was brought to life by Simone Legno, the Italian co-founder of the popular brand tokidoki. According to the church online media Veritas PH, Legno is thrilled the Dicastery of Evangelization embraced his vision, hoping this lovable mascot will connect with the next generation.
“[He] is extremely grateful for the Dicastery for Evangelization for opening its door to his art,” stated the church publication.
Luce is set to make her debut this week at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy’s ultimate convention for all things comics, video games, and fantasy. This marks the first time the Vatican Dicastery will participate in this event, aiming to spark conversations about hope and faith with a new generation.
The Jubilee Year kicks off with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Christmas Eve 2024, welcoming an expected 30 million pilgrims into Rome by the time the celebrations wrap up on January 6, 2026.
