The organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games apologized on Sunday to anyone who was offended by a scene that evoked “The Last Supper”by Leonardo da Vinci, during the opening ceremony.
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Da Vinci’s painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him.
The scene during Friday’s ceremony featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch, an LGBTQ+ icon, flanked by drag performers and dancers.
Religious conservatives around the world condemned the segment, with the French Catholic Church’s bishops’ conference deploring the “scenes of mockery” for Christianity, a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Deep regret
The Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed its “deep regret” and said the ceremony could cause the IOC to “loses its distinctive sporting identity and its humanitarian message”.
Paris 2024 Olympics spokeswoman Anne Descamps was asked about the protests during an International Olympic Committee press conference on Sunday.
“Clearly, there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think that (with) Thomas Jolly, we really tried to celebrate community tolerance.”said Descamps.
“Looking at the results of the polls, we believe that this goal has been achieved. If people have felt offended, of course, we are very, very sorry.”.
“My desire is not to be subversive, nor to mock or to scandalize,” said Jolly. “Above all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not to divide at all.”
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2024-07-30 15:14:17
