The opening ceremony to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games was an over-the-top tribute to France’s history played out along the River Seine, but not everyone who watched it was a fan — including the Vatican.
The seat of the Catholic Church issued a statement on Sunday, August 4, condemning certain scenes of the ceremony. In particular, Pope Francis was “saddened” by a tableau of drag queens and other performers that appeared, to critics, like a mockery of ’s “Last Supper.”
That painting depicts the last meal that Jesus Christ had with his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion. Though Olympic organizers have denied any intentional reference to the famous artwork, it roused a fair number of criticisms from conservative Christian celebrities.
“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and cannot but join the voices raised in recent days to deplore the offense done to many Christians and believers of other religions,” the rare weekend statement from the Vatican’s press office read.
“In a prestigious event where the whole world comes together around common values, there should not be allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people,” it added. “Freedom of expression, which is obviously not called into question, finds its limit in respect for others.”
The statement comes more than a week after the opening ceremony and well after Olympic organizers and the event’s director denied any connection to the “Last Supper.”
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson shared in a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are really sorry.”
Artistic director said the tableau was a callback to the Olympics’ celebratory roots.
“There’s Dionysus arriving on a table. Why is he there? First and foremost because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology and the tableau is called ‘Festivity,’” Jolly explained to the French TV station BFM. “He is also the god of wine, which is also one of the jewels of France, and the father of Séquana, the goddess of the river Seine. The idea was to depict a big pagan celebration, linked to the gods of Olympus and thus the Olympics.”
“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity,” he added.
