Paris Olympics: Group apologizes for mocking Christianity

The Paris Olympics drew some ire from irate Christians during its opening ceremony when a particular segment was found mocking their faith.

In response, Organizers of the Paris Olympics have issued an apology following backlash over a segment in the lavish opening ceremony, which some critics described as a parody of “The Last Supper.” The scene, featuring drag artists and dancers, drew widespread criticism from the Catholic Church and Christian groups, who accused the performance of mocking Christianity.

The French Catholic Church expressed that the festivities included “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” In response, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps clarified, “There was clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, we tried to celebrate community and tolerance. If people have taken any offense, we’re of course really sorry.”

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While the controversial scene faced criticism, the opening ceremony was also widely praised. Some observers noted that the scene bore more resemblance to other works, like “The Feast of the Gods” by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel, rather than Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

Thomas Jolly, the director of the opening ceremony, insisted that the inspiration behind the scene was not “The Last Supper.” In an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV, Jolly explained, “Dionysus arrives at the table because he is the Greek God of celebration and that sequence is called ‘festivity.’ The idea was to create a big pagan party linked with the God of Mount Olympus.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the official Olympics account stated that the “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” aiming to convey a message of unity and peace.