The Vatican has unveiled a new cute anime girl mascot, hoping to create characters that “can represent the sentiments that resonate in the hearts of the younger generations”.

The new character named Luce (which means “Light” in Italian) helps to “guide young pilgrims towards hope and faith” according to the Catholic News Agency.

Luce and her friends were designed by tokidoki co-founder Simone Legno. Luce is joined by her dog Santino, alongside her friends Fe, Xin, and Sky. With a design reminiscent of Sanrio characters, Luce and friends wear colorful raincoats and boots to travel on their holy pilgrimage. Luce and her friends have unique markings in their eyes which Jubilee chief organizer Archbishop Rino Fisichella describes as “a symbol of the hope of the heart”.

Luce will make her debut at the Lucca Comics and Games convention in Italy, which will be the first time the Vatican will officially participate in a comics convention. Luce will also represent the Holy See at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

The Catholic Church is planning multiple cultural events and projects in anticipation of the upcoming Catholic jubilee.

At present, it’s unclear what’s planned for Luce and friends insofar as merchandising and possible multimedia projects.