Draw LUCE The Vatican surprised the world this month by introducing Luce, its first anime-inspired mascot. The character, designed by Italian artist Simone Legno, was created as part of a strategy to attract young Catholic audiences and quickly became a topic of conversation on social media. With blue hair and a yellow coat, Luce reflects a modern aesthetic that has captured the attention of young people and artists around the world, who have not hesitated to create their own versions of the character that blew up the Internet

Luce, whose name means “light” in Italian, appears alongside other colorful characters named Fe, Xin and Sky, all wearing eye-catching jackets and with visual designs that seek to connect with youth in a fresh and accessible cultural language. In addition, her faithful mascot, a dog named Santino, was introduced, which has added an even more endearing touch to Luce’s image

Luce’s announcement quickly went viral, especially after a tweet from the @CatholicTV account, which shared the Vatican’s message on October 28. Within hours, the post racked up millions of interactions, prompting a wave of illustrations, memes and comments on platforms like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The online community of Artists and Cartoonists began sharing fan art of Luce, from depictions in everyday situations to more creative interpretations that imagine the character on adventures or surrounded by religious elements

With Luce's initial success, it is expected that the mascot will continue to gain popularity and that the Vatican will explore more ways to connect with young audiences through anime and other digital formats. This character could be the beginning of a new era in the relationship between the Church and popular culture, using modern means to convey a timeless message of faith and hope