“Christianity Mocked” –

Gabriel Imperial

July 27, 2024

Scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity. This is the accusation made by the French Episcopal Conference at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. A clear accusation from the bishops of France who wrote a very harsh press release co-signed by the organizers of the “HolyGames”, a project of the Church of Rome focused on the union of sport and faith. “The opening ceremony proposed by the COJOP offered the entire world, last night, wonderful moments of beauty, joy, rich in emotion and universally praised – they wrote – This ceremony unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore”. The bishops’ anger is for a very specific moment of the opening of the Olympic Games. It is what the organizers called “Festa” and portrays a group of people sitting around a table, including several drag queens. The scene recalls the Last Supper, Christ’s last meal with his apostles.

The image has sparked a torrent of controversy. “We think of all Christians on all continents who have been hurt by the excess and provocation of certain scenes,” the French bishops wrote. “We hope they understand that the Olympic celebration goes far beyond the ideological prejudices of some artists.” In the statement, the Episcopal Conference and the organizers of the HolyGames also thanked “the members of other religious faiths who have expressed their solidarity. Sport is a wonderful human activity that deeply delights the hearts of athletes and spectators. The Olympics are a movement at the service of this reality of human unity and brotherhood. Positioned on the playing field, may they bring truth, consolation and joy to all!” As reconstructed by TG La 7, however, in the wake of the controversy of the Episcopal Conference across the Alps, others have commented on the opening ceremony. Starting with some right-wing and far-right figures, visibly outraged by the authors’ choice.

“To all the Christians in the world who are watching the opening ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper,” wrote MEP Marion Marèchal, Marine Le Pen’s niece, on social media, “know that it is not France speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation.” There were also many reactions on social media. Among the users, there were those who wrote: “The Last Supper represented through the performance of transgender people, or fake transgender people. Why desacralize a painting that represents the highest moment of the Catholic faith and offend millions of Christians? Ridicule the roots and the very essence of Europe. To whose advantage? Horrible, ignoble, evil.” And then there were those who commented even more harshly: “At the Paris Olympics, a sort of blasphemous representation of Christ’s Last Supper is being staged with trans and cannon women. These are not the Olympics of sport. These are the Olympics of Satanism.”