Segment of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, which recalled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles eating their last meal before the crucifixion and featured drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer disguised as the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, caused consternation among the Catholic Church and the American religious right.
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“Of course it was never the intention to show disrespect to any religious group.“(The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate the tolerance of the community,” Anne Descamps, a spokeswoman for Paris 2024, told a news conference. “We believe that this ambition has been achieved. If people were offended, we are truly sorry.”
France, while proud of its rich Catholic heritage, also has a long tradition of secularism and anticlericalism. Blasphemy is not only legal, but is considered by many to be an essential pillar of freedom of speech.
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The Catholic Church in France expressed regret over the ceremony, which “contained scenes of mockery and ridicule of Christianity”Some French athletes have had trouble sleeping because of the controversy, said Monsignor Emmanuel Gobilliard, the French episcopal delegate to the Games.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Malta’s most senior Catholic official and an official in the powerful Vatican doctrinal office, said he had contacted the French ambassador to Malta to complain about the “gratuitous insult”.
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Some commentators have stated that The controversy was another example of 21st century culture wars, accelerated by the 24-hour news cycle and social media.Thomas Jolly, the artistic director and mastermind behind the extravagant opening ceremony, said his intention was never to undermine religion. “We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, just like that,” he told reporters Saturday.
