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Who Is Luce? The Vatican's New Blue-Haired 'Anime' Mascot Explained
The Vatican just released its official mascot for the 2025 Jubilee, and it's not what you might expect from the Holy See.
Meet "Luce," a blue-haired, blue-eyed anime girl designed by Italian artist Simone Legno's brand Tokidoki. She's meant to represent Catholic pilgrims, donning a bright yellow sailor's coat and holding a walking stick as her dog Santiago stands by her side.
Luce's not alone either — she has an angel looking over her shoulder, a dove hovering above her and a host of friends to support her. The unexpected move from the Vatican was supposedly made to appeal to a younger Catholic audience, with the church trying to relate to the "the pop culture so beloved by our young people."
As it turns out, (almost) everyone seems to love Luce. Fan art featuring the little anime character flooded the internet soon after she was announced, even as some corners of the internet saw infighting between Catholics who supported Luce and those who didn't.
Here's a look at Luce, the Vatican's anime mascot, and how the internet has responded to her so far.
Who Is Luce, And When Did The Vatican Launch Their 'Anime' Mascot?
The Vatican announced the arrival of Luce, a doll-like mascot inspired by Catholic pilgrims, ahead of the 2025 Jubilee in late October 2024. The blue-haired, blue-eyed girl can be seen wearing a yellow raincoat and holding a walking stick. A set of rosary beads hang around her neck, and her brown-and-white dog Santiago can be seen wagging his tail by her muddy green boots.
The character was made by Simone Legno, a Catholic-Italian who founded the anime-inspired lifestyle brand Tokidoki. In a statement posted to his Instagram, Legno wrote, "To be honest, I could never have imagined that I would bring my humble artistic contribution, pop-culture, kawaii-culture to the Holy See. I am extremely grateful to the Dicastery for Evangelization for opening its doors to my Art."
How Did Internet Users React To Luce?
4chan's /a/ board discussed the news on October 28th, 2024, with one user writing, "The Church vs Satan Isekai when?"
Other internet users compared Luce to Ai Ohto, the protagonist of the anime Wonder Egg Priority.
Many internet users took Luce's announcement as a chance to share their fan art of her, with @SwissRifle gathering over 11,000 upvotes on a piece of art titled, "REPENT!" and @hyxpk gathering over 39,000 likes in a day.
Did Anyone Criticize The Catholic Church's Decision To Create Luce?
Some Catholic Twitter users took offense to Luce's announcement, criticizing Legno, the designer who created her, for promoting Pride merchandise through his brand. This led to some in-fighting in niche online Catholic communities, with people making memes about the bickering soon after Luce's release.
For the full history of Luce, the Vatican's Anime Mascot, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
