Olympics organizers apologize for a seemingly disrespectful show depicting the Last Supper at the opening ceremony following backlash from Christian leaders. On Friday, the Paris 2024 Olympics officially kicked off with an opening ceremony at the River Seine. The event saw competitors from participating countries observe the beauty of the French capital from the Seine as boats ferried them across. It also featured artistic displays entertaining the crowd. One such act has provoked the Christians, leading to a public outcry.
As Christian continued raging across social media platforms, the French Bishop conference joined in, issuing a public statement over the weekend. In their statement, the religious group expressed ire at the opening ceremony performance, considering it a mockery of Christianity. They called out the Olympic body for portraying “scenes of mockery and derision of Christianity,” while thanking other religious bodies for expressing solidarity with Christians.
Olympic Organizing Committee Claims Controversial Opening Ceremony Show Promoted Tolerance
Individuals and companies have also reacted to the “parody,” of The Last Supper, threatening to boycott the Paris 2024 Olympics. The US-based telecommunications company C-Sphire revealed intentions to pull its advertisement around the Olympics following the shocking “mockery of the Last Supper,” per BBC. Amid the public outrage, the Olympic Games organizers were forced to respond, apologizing for the offensive act.
Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps, in a press conference on Sunday, revealed that the body never intended to “show disrespect to any religious group.” Contrariwise, the artistic director Thomas Jolly aimed to celebrate community tolerance, which they believed he achieved seamlessly through the controversial act. Regardless, she offered a note of apology to anyone who believed otherwise, and found it offensive, saying,
“If people have taken any offense, we of course are really sorry.”
Thomas further explained the idea behind “The Last Supper” depiction at the Olympics opening ceremony, insisting his work only aimed to “do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus.” He added,
“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality, and fraternity.”
The performance in question had a group of entertainers recreate Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper. However, this reimagined version featured drag queens, a transgender model, and singers portraying some of the biblical apostles, which Christians deem disrespectful to the religion given its aversion to the church’s doctrines.
