Vatican’s Anime-Style Mascot Quickly Turns Into AI Porn Trend

In an unexpected turn of events following the launch of a new Catholic Church mascot, online communities have taken to creating explicit AI-generated images of the character, as first reported by 404Media.

Launched last week as the official mascot for the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations and the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, Luce is a cartoon character inspired by Japanese animation.

The initiative, led by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, aimed to foster a connection with younger generations. Fisichella explained at the launch that Luce was “created from the desire to enter into the world of pop culture, so beloved by our young people,” as first reported by Sky News.

However, shortly after her debut, Luce has sparked controversy as users on platforms like Civitai, a popular AI model-sharing site, have created explicit images using AI models based on her likeness.

Although the models themselves are not explicitly designed for adult content, Civitai’s customizable features allow users to combine AI models in ways that yield explicit images, as noted by 404Media.

According to 404Media, one of the models, titled Luce – Vatican’s Mascot [PONY], contains numerous user-generated images depicting Luce in compromising scenarios.

User comments on the model’s page reveal awareness of the provocative nature of these images, with posts like, “Lord forgive me for what I am about to do,” and “If you came here for what everyone else came here for, then you won’t be disappointed,” as noted by 404Media.

The deeper issue goes beyond the stark contrast between Luce’s innocent, official image and the explicit online content. The character’s perceived age is particularly concerning.

Although the Vatican has not specified Luce’s age, her youthful, childlike appearance in official images has been replicated in some of the explicit AI-generated content on Civitai. This aspect of her portrayal raises serious ethical concerns regarding the use and depiction of the mascot.

So far, the Vatican has not issued any statement addressing Luce’s intended age or the explicit content circulating online.