As part of preparations for the highly anticipated 2025 Jubilee, the Vatican has introduced "Luce," a cartoon mascot created to capture the hearts of young pilgrims and guide them through the Church's holy year celebrations. The cheerful character, whose name means "light" in Italian, will be a central figure for youth engagement, embodying themes of faith and hope.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Vatican organizer for the Jubilee, shared that Luce’s purpose is to connect with younger generations. "We aim to engage with the pop culture so beloved by our young people," Fisichella remarked, highlighting that Luce's debut will take place at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy’s premier convention for comics and fantasy culture. This marks a historic first: a Vatican dicastery's participation in a comic convention.

Luce’s design—yellow raincoat, pilgrim cross, and mud-stained boots—emphasizes the pilgrimage journey, with bright shells in her eyes recalling the iconic Camino de Santiago shell symbol. Accompanied by her loyal dog, Santino, Luce is set to lead young pilgrims toward hope and spiritual growth. Fisichella describes her shining eyes as “a symbol of the hope of the heart.”

Created by Simone Legno, co-founder of pop brand tokidoki, Luce will be accompanied by her “pilgrim friends” Fe, Xin, and Sky, each outfitted in colorful gear. Legno’s background in Japanese pop culture influenced Luce’s raincoat, symbolizing both resilience through life’s storms and the colors of the Vatican flag.

In 2025, Luce will also represent the Vatican at Expo Osaka in Japan, where the theme "Beauty Brings Hope" will resonate alongside the Vatican Museums’ Caravaggio masterpiece, "The Entombment of Christ". “Luce can represent the sentiments that resonate in the hearts of younger generations,” Legno shared.

Leading up to the Jubilee, the Vatican has announced a range of cultural events, including a November 3 concert of Shostakovich’s "Symphony No. 5" and an exhibit of Marc Chagall’s "White Crucifixion," on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago, to be displayed in Rome from November 27 through January 27.

The Jubilee will commence with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, 2024, as Rome prepares to welcome approximately 30 million pilgrims by the Holy Year's end on January 6, 2026.