In an amusing branding move, the Vatican debuted an anime-style cartoon mascot named Luce to mixed reactions online.
Vatican
Posted inOpinion
Nativity Scenes Have Never Been Neutral
To criticize the Vatican’s nativity with a now-removed Jesus in a keffiyeh would be to dismiss the artistic history of crèches centering marginalized people.
Posted inNews
Vatican Removes Baby Jesus With Keffiyeh From Nativity
The Nativity scene, crafted by two Palestinian artists, drew online criticism about the headscarf’s inclusion from pro-Israel entities.
Posted inNews
Photos From the Pope’s Historic First Visit to the Venice Biennale
Pope Francis visited the women’s prison where the Vatican is presenting its pavilion exhibition this year.
Posted inNews
Vatican Taps Maurizio Cattelan for Venice Biennale
The artist behind the infamous duct-taped banana will create an outdoor installation for the Vatican’s exhibition, held in a women’s prison on the island of Giudecca.
Posted inArt
Michelangelo’s Signature and the Myth of Genius
Michelangelo served as a stellar example for future artists who sought status and economic independence.
Posted inNews
Vatican to Return Its Parthenon Marbles Fragments to Greece
Pope Francis called the works’ repatriation a “donation.”
Posted inNews
Disgruntled American Tourist Smashes Roman Busts at the Vatican
The 65-year-old man was reportedly angry that he was not granted a meeting with the Pope.
Posted inNews
Climate Protesters Glue Themselves to Vatican Masterpiece
Two activists from the group Ultima Generazione glued their hands to the base of the ancient Roman statue “Laocoön and His Sons,” dubbed as a “prototypical icon of human agony.”
Posted inNews
Indigenous Groups in Canada Call on the Vatican to Return Their Cultural Belongings
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit leaders have asked for their cultural heritage to be returned ahead of the pope’s visit to Canada.
Posted inNews
Aquaman Star Jason Momoa Slammed for Photos Inside Sistine Chapel
The site of Michelangelo’s famous frescoes has a strict no-photos policy.
Posted inNews
Why Is There an Astronaut in This Year’s Vatican Nativity?
The Nativity, produced between 1965 and 1975 in a ceramic school in Abruzzo, has been mocked for its sci-fi aesthetics and inclusion of a Darth Vader-like character.