Luce (Italian: [ˈluːtʃe] lit. 'Light') is the official mascot of the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee. Designed by tokidoki founder Simone Legno, she represents a Catholic pilgrim. She is accompanied by a pet dog named Santino and three friends named Fe, Xin, and Sky.
| Luce | |
|---|---|
 Official artwork of Luce | |
| First appearance | October 28, 2024 |
| Created by | Simone Legno |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Religion | Catholic |
Description
editLuce has blue hair and wears a yellow rain jacket, which is colored in reference to the flag of the Vatican City as well as a symbol for "journeying through life's storms". She carries a pilgrim's staff, which represents "the pilgrimage toward eternity", and wears mud-stained boots to represent "a long and difficult journey". Her eyes have highlights in the shape of a scallop shell, a traditional symbol of Catholic pilgrimage; her shining eyes were described as "a symbol of the hope of the heart". Luce also wears a multi-colored World Mission rosary around her neck.[1][2]
Simone Legno, Luce's designer, said that he hoped "Luce can represent the sentiments that resonate in the hearts of the younger generations".[1]
History
editLuce was unveiled by Archbishop Rino Fisichella of the Dicastery for Evangelization on October 28, 2024, as the official mascot of the 2025 Jubilee. He said that Luce was inspired by the Catholic Church's desire "to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth".[3] Luce represented the Holy See at Lucca Comics & Games in 2024,[4] the first time that the Vatican officially participated in a comic convention, and will appear at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.[1][5]
Reception
editFollowing Luce's unveiling, she quickly spawned Internet memes and fan art.[6]
The designs and general artstyles of Luce and her friends have been compared to anime characters,[7][8] and users on websites such as Twitter have joked about the Catholic Church embracing anime visuals. Comparisons were drawn between Luce's design and the designs of Ai Ohto, the protagonist of Wonder Egg Priority,[9] and Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion.[10]
Luce drew mixed reactions from Catholics. While many approved of her, some traditionalist commentators criticized her as "too modern and silly" to represent Catholicism.[10] Some pushed back on the multi-colored rosary, claiming a resemblance to the pride flag; however, the rosary's colors are from the World Mission rosary created by Fulton Sheen.[2][11][12]
The Catholic Church's use of a cartoon mascot was compared to Buddy Christ from the film Dogma.[13] In the film, Buddy Christ is a marketable and relatable redesign of Jesus Christ aimed to attract younger audiences to Catholicism. Kevin Smith, the director of Dogma, remarked that "Buddy Christ winked so Luce could dilate".[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c Mares, Courtney (October 28, 2024). "Meet 'Luce': The Vatican's cartoon mascot for Jubilee 2025". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ McLellan, Justin (October 28, 2024). "Archbishop Rino Fisichella of Dicastery for Evangelization unveils official mascot of the Holy Year 2025: 'Luce'". The Dialog. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (October 30, 2024). "The Vatican Attends Lucca, Launching Their Cartoon Mascot, Luce". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Dome and the Rising Sun for Expo 2025 in Osaka". AsiaNews. October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Leib, Rebecca (October 30, 2024). "The Vatican randomly dropped their new anime mascot and it is polarizing the internet". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Peters, Megan (October 28, 2024). "The Vatican Goes Full Anime With New Catholic Mascot: Watch Now". ComicBook.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Prada, Luis (October 29, 2024). "The Vatican Just Dropped an Anime Girl Mascot Named 'Luce'". VICE. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ Nazru, Ami (October 29, 2024). "Internet Goes Crazy Over The Vatican's Unveiling Of An Anime-Styled Mascot". Animehunch. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Placido, Dani Di. "Who Is 'Luce'?—The Anime Mascot Of The Catholic Church, Explained". Forbes. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Grace, Alexis (November 12, 2024). "Luce: El Camino de Culture Wars". Catholic365. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ "A Rosary For You". Lake Shore Visitor. September 4, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ "Vatican Introduces New Mascot 'Luce' Designed by tokidoki Founder". Anime News Network. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Kevin (October 29, 2024). "Buddy Christ winked so Luce could dilate. I think the Catholic Church is celebrating the 25th anniversary of DOGMA by finally trolling me back". Instagram. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
