Luce: The Meme Of The 2025 Jubilee
A Look at the Luce Internet Sensation
Luce, whose name means “light,” is a blue-haired girl who took the internet by storm towards the end of 2024. She is set to be the star of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, a special holy year focusing on forgiveness and renewal. In a way, both Luce and the Jubilee reflect the concept of pilgrimage, making trips to religious sites. However, the character has already made an impression around the world. By the looks of it, she could just be getting started.
There are many hidden messages within Luce’s design. She wears a missionary cross, resembling a set of rosary beads, around her neck. In addition, she wears a yellow raincoat, which is meant to symbolize weathering through life’s storms. The yellow also helps bring to mind the flag of Vatican City. If one looks closely, they could also see the Jubilee Year logo on her jacket, too. She pairs this look with dirty green boots, highlighting her journey so far, and a staff, suggesting she’s on a pilgrimage.
Even the character’s eyes have a double meaning. Towards the end, they contain the image of a scallop. This also serves as a traditional symbol of a pilgrimage. Traditionally, the different points of the scallop were said to represent the different routes a pilgrim must take.
The character was designed by Italian artist Simone Legno, who is known for the influence of Japanese culture in his work. He is also known as the creator of the “tokidoki” lifestyle brand, which also boasts a similarly strong Japanese influence. The brand’s website even has a page describing Luce and her friends.
Luce isn’t alone through her journey. She has a puppy, Santino, and a dove, Aura, at her side. She also had a few friends: Fe, Xin, and Sky. Each of them wears similar raincoats in red, green, and blue, the primary colors of light. Luce also has a guardian angel, Iubi, a play on “love,” in her corner, who shares her color scheme. Like Luce, these other characters also have their own symbols hidden in their design. Iubi, for example, has an anchor, a symbol of hope, on his baseball cap, which he keeps underneath his halo.
The mascot character had her big debut on October 28, 2024, where she was revealed by Archbishop Rino Fisichella. As he shared in a statement, Luce will help “to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.”
However, Luce also likely has another purpose, as she pays tribute to Japanese pop culture, and with good reason. She will serve as the mascot for the Holy See’s pavilion at Expo 2025, which is set to take place in Osaka, Japan, from April to October 2025. The pavilion will be part of the main Italian pavilion, which is designed around the theme of “Beauty brings hope.” Luce is expected to share the “stage” with more traditional artwork, such as the 17th-century painting “The Entombment of Christ.”
In fact, Luce has already made her public debut. An inflatable version of the character even appeared at the 2024 Lucca Comics & Games, which was set in Lucca, Italy.
“Luce’s anime influences have made her come off as somewhat contemporary. This has led to a variety of memes where traditional Catholics either don’t know what to make of her or embrace her as one of their own.”
With her release, Luce caught international attention with quite a reach. After all, publications ranging from Catholic news agencies to anime-themed websites had some interest in the character. Cryptocurrency websites talked about meme coins based on the character, complete with a possible surge in price. Of course, the character’s novelty made her a topic of discussion all over. Even soap opera-themed websites covered the little blue-haired mascot’s story. Probably her most notable media appearance might have been the Vatican News YouTube channel sharing a four-second animated clip of Luce, waving at viewers around the world.
Almost immediately after her release, Luce found herself the subject of all sorts of fan art. One popular trend was to incorporate her into the world of some anime, manga, or video game the artist was fond of. Eventually, this all gave way to memes.
Luce’s blue hair is an anime staple, and that hasn’t been lost on some anime fans. Some memes poke fun at her resemblance to other characters with short blue hair, like Ami Mizuno, also known as Sailor Mercury, from “Sailor Moon,” or “Neon Genesis Evangelion’s” Rei Ayanami. For the former, Luce’s matching blue eyes and water motif, between the seashells and the raincoat, also helps. Of course, blue hair isn’t limited to anime. Some memes took note of Luce’s resemblance to the animated version of Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline.”
Luce’s more spiritual origins also helped to make her fodder for other faith-based memes. One popular meme had her quote the famous line, “Don’t mess with me…I have the power of God and anime on my side.” Naturally, this is fitting for a character inspired by both.
Some memes like to play up the idea of Luce as some powerful saint in the making. One popular meme poked fun at “The Shining,” with Satan cowering in a corner as someone breaks a hole in a wooden door. Naturally, it’s Luce poking her head through the hole.
Luce’s anime influences have made her come off as somewhat contemporary. This has led to a variety of memes where traditional Catholics either don’t know what to make of her or embrace her as one of their own.
On one hand, some Catholics have criticized Luce, thinking she’s a strange attempt to win over young people. Some Catholic memes asked how the Church could go from using saints who worked wonders and sacrificed their lives as role models to a mascot character. One Catholic website even immediately compared her to the infamous Steve Buscemi meme saluting fellow young people.
On the other hand, Luce has a few Catholic supporters. On Instagram, Matt Fradd, the host of the “Pints With Aquinas” podcast, once announced a contest for the best Luce memes on Locals. On X, formerly Twitter, political commentator Michael Knowles even wrote, “I attend the Traditional Latin Mass. I wear bowties. I read old books. I smoke cigars. I’m married with three kids under four. I’m what they call a ‘trad.’ And I stan Luce.”
Fr Matthew P. Schneider, a priest with a large internet following, even wrote on the platform, “I like #Luce, the mascot for the holy year 2025. The images seem like a good Christian adaptation of modern culture or inculturation.”
Ultimately, Luce has her supporters and those who still aren’t sure what to make of her. In the end, only one thing is certain. Her name is probably pronounced “Lu-Chay.”