The Paris Olympics organising committee has apologised to Catholics and other Christian groups who were outraged over an apparent drag parody of the Last Supper during the opening ceremony on Friday. Source: The Guardian and Crux.
The scene, performed against the backdrop of the River Seine, was intended to interpret Dionysus and raise awareness “of the absurdity of violence between human beings”, organisers wrote on X.
The committee was forced to apologise after the performance caused outrage among Catholics, Christian groups and conservative politicians around the world.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” the Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps told a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.”
Catholic leaders in France and around the world condemned the incident.
In a statement on Saturday, the French bishops said the opening ceremony “offered the whole world wonderful moments of beauty and joy, rich in emotions and universally acclaimed.”
However, they noted that the ceremony also “unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore”.
The Olympic opening ceremony featured a fashion show with men in drag making suggestive runway walks, and included what appeared to a mockery of the Last Supper.
At one point during the ceremony, a group of 18 drag performers struck poses behind what appeared to be a long table with the Seine River and Eiffel Tower in the background.
At the centre was a woman in a low-cut dress wearing a large silver headdress, reminiscent of the halo behind Jesus’s head in many artistic depictions of the Last Supper, indicating his divine status as the son of God.
Later, a large serving tray was placed on the stage, with the top being removed to reveal a scantily clad man painted head to toe in blue, apparently evoking the Greek God Dionysus.
Monsignor Emmanuel Gobilliard, a delegate of the bishops of France for the Games, said some French athletes had had trouble sleeping because of the fallout from the controversy.
FULL STORY
Paris Olympics organisers apologise to Christians for Last Supper parody (By Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian)
Bishops around the world blast Last Supper parody at Paris Olympics (By Elise Ann Allen, Crux)
RELATED COVERAGE
French Bishops lament ‘scenes mocking Christianity’ at Olympic Ceremony (Vatican News)
Catholics decry ‘derision’ of Christianity at Olympics opening ceremony (OSV News)
