Paris 2024 organizers have apologized to Catholics and other Christian organizations who were offended by a kitsch tableau in the Olympic Games opening ceremony that seemed to mock Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” artwork.
The segment, which resembled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a final meal before the crucifixion and featured drag queens, a transgender model, and a naked singer dressed as the Greek God of wine Dionysus, outraged the Catholic Church and the religious right in America.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Reuters reported, quoting Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps.
The artistic director of the spectacular opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, stated that the scene was not inspired by “The Last Supper” and intended to depict a pagan feast associated with the gods of Olympus.
France, while proud of its strong Catholic roots, has a long history of secularism and anti-clericalism. Blasphemy is not only legal, but it is also often regarded as a fundamental component of free expression.
Hugo Bardin, whose drag queen persona Paloma appeared in the tableau, expressed disappointment that Paris 2024 felt obligated to apologize.
“An apology means recognizing a mistake, recognizing that you deliberately did something to harm, which was not the case,” Bardin said.
“What bothers people isn’t that we’re reproducing this painting,” Bardin continued, “what bothers people is that queer people are reproducing it,” he added.
The Catholic Church in France, on the other hand, condemned a celebration that “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.”
Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Malta’s highest-ranking Catholic official and a member of the Vatican’s influential doctrinal authority, said he had phoned Pope France’s envoy to complain about the “gratuitous insult.”
Marion Marechal, a far-right French member of the European Parliament, commented on X: “To all the Christians of the world who are watching the Paris2024 ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France that is speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation.”
US House Speaker Mike Johnson commented on X: “The Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games…The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.”
Abby Johnson, presenter of the “Politely Rude” podcast and former Planned Parenthood clinic director and women’s advocate, also criticized the portrayal of Jesus and His followers, writing on X, “It’s crazy how they openly degrade and mock our beliefs then call us intolerant.”
Al-Azhar, Egypt’s highest seat of Sunni Muslim body, denounced the “insulting scenes” of Jesus Christ at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris on Sunday.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the reportedly scandalous parts of the ceremony, including a provocative LGBTQ+ parody of ‘The Last Supper’ saying “It is disgusting and more importantly, it is illegal in our country. It is just good to know that our viewers have not seen that.”