PARIS, JULY 29 : The Catholic Church in France has expressed strong criticism of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, particularly taking issue with a banquet sequence featuring drag artists. The Church, along with other Christian groups, felt that this scene parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting “The Last Supper,” which depicts a significant biblical moment.
The Church described the ceremony as featuring “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” Additionally, the US telecommunications company C Spire announced it would withdraw its advertising from the Olympic Games due to being “shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies.”
Olympic Games organisers have since apologized for any offence caused. Thomas Jolly, the ceremony’s artistic director, clarified that there was no intention to “mock or denigrate anyone” and that the scene was meant to reference pagan gods. He emphasized his aim was to create a ceremony that celebrated community tolerance and the Republican values of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Anne Descamps, spokeswoman for Paris 2024, reiterated that the intention was not to disrespect any religious group, stating, “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry.”
Jolly further explained to French broadcaster BFM that the idea behind the scene was to host a grand pagan celebration linked to the gods of Olympus, reaffirming that his work does not aim to mock or denigrate anyone but to bring people together and promote reconciliation.(UNI)