The Vatican belatedly joined the chorus of voices denouncing the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony featuring an apparent reenactment of “The Last Supper” with drag queens, accusing the Games of mocking widely held religious beliefs.
“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence caused to many Christians and believers of other religions,” said the Saturday statement issued by the Vatican press office.
The Vatican’s reaction came more than a week after the July 26 opening in Paris, which included a tableau at a long table with more than a dozen drag entertainers — and a child — flanking a woman wearing a halo crown.
The scene culminated with a near-naked blue man representing Dionysius being served on a platter.
“At a prestigious event where the whole world comes together to share common values, there should be no allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people,” said the Holy See. “The freedom of expression, which is clearly not called into question here, is limited by respect for others.”
BREAKING
— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) August 3, 2024
The Vatican CONDEMNS the Olympics Opening Ceremony
’The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence caused to many Christians and… pic.twitter.com/EOnROlp551
The statement followed a Friday letter from three Catholic cardinals and 24 Catholic bishops calling on the Olympics to “repudiate this blasphemous action and apologize to people of all faith.”
“With shock the world watched as the summer Olympics in Paris opened with a grotesque and blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper,” said the letter. “It is hard to understand how the faith of over 2 billion people can be so casually and intentionally blasphemed.”
Thomas Jolly, the ceremony’s artistic director, has said the scene was intended to be “a big pagan party,” while Paris 2024 organizers acknowledged that it was inspired by the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece of Jesus Christ at the final meal with His disciples before his crucifixion.
“For the ‘Festivities’ segment, Thomas Jolly took inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting,” a Paris 2024 spokesperson said in a July 27 email to The Washington Times. “He is not the first artist to make a reference to what is a world-famous work of art. From Andy Warhol to the Simpsons, many have done it before him.”
Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps offered an apology at a July 28 press conference, saying: “If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry.”
The ceremony has been denounced by numerous political and religious figures from around the world, while French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Friday the online harassment aimed at those involved with the show.
“I am outraged and sad,” said Mr. Macron, according to news outlets. “Nothing justifies threats against an artist.”
French police are investigating death threats against Mr. Jolly and others ahead of the closing ceremony, which include emails such as “Allah’s punishment will befall the organisers in Saint-Denis,” according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.
The Olympic Games closing ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 11 at the Stade de France outside Paris in Saint-Denis.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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