Critics say opening ceremony rendition of The Last Supper mocks Christians (Image: X)
Organizers of the Paris Olympics issued an apology Sunday following criticism of a segment in the opening ceremony that some viewed as mocking Christianity’s Last Supper.
The controversial scene, featuring drag performers and dancers, drew a sharp rebuke from Catholic leaders and conservative politicians who saw it as a disrespectful portrayal of Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion.
“There was clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said at a news conference. “If people have taken any offense, we’re, of course, really sorry.”
The French Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the performance, stating it “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” In the United States, House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “shocking and insulting” mockery of Christian beliefs.
The backlash led one U.S. company, telecommunications firm C Spire, to withdraw its advertising from the Summer Games.
Thomas Jolly, director of the opening ceremony, denied that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous “Last Supper” painting inspired the scene. In an interview with French news channel BFMTV, Jolly explained the segment was meant to depict a “big pagan party” centered around Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry.
“You will never find in me, or in my work, any desire of mocking anyone,” Jolly stated.
The official Olympics social media account described the scene as an “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus,” intended to highlight “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
Despite the controversy, many viewers praised the overall opening ceremony for its creativity and spectacle. Some observers have pointed out that the contentious scene bears a stronger resemblance to other artworks, such as “The Feast of the Gods” by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel, rather than da Vinci’s “Last Supper.”
Teams representing the competing countries arrived on boats on the River Seine. The U.S. was represented by flag bearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff.
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Would they do the same thing if it was a Muslim? We have to tip-toe around Muslims.
We live in the world of innuendo and oblique references to traditional images. It should come as no surprise that a nation like France with barely 1% of its population professing any connection to being Christian should insert a totally unnecessary likeness of the most ubiquitous image of the Christian faith. In an otherwise creatively presented opening ceremony, the inclusion of an image so irrelevant to the spirit of the Olympics suggests the entrenched paganism of French culture. If the French Opening ceremony designers want Supper to be a motif, why not Cheese and Wine and liver pate. If Paris is ever again to host the Games, Thomas Jolly better well rethink how his audience might interpret the images he drags out.
I find it hard to believe the Ignorance and lack of respect of the Olympic organizers
for such a horrific and controversial scene, it was extremely insulting to the Christian and Catholic Church and community. SAME ON YOU, BIG TIME!!
Chur