The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games immediately came under fire and “saddened” Pope Francis.
A statement released by the Vatican on Saturday evening said there should be no “allusions that ridicule the religious convictions of many people.”
“The Holy See was saddened by some of the scenes that occurred during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris and cannot but join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence caused to many Christians and believers of other religions,” the statement said.
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A general view of the Trocadero site as delegations arrive in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on July 26, 2024. (Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool photo via AP)
“At a prestigious event where the whole world comes together to share common values, there should be no references that ridicule the religious convictions of many people. Freedom of expression, which is obviously not in question here, is limited by respect for others.”
The ceremony attracted attention when it included a headless Marie Antoinette at the beginning and then a ménage à trois.
What most angered critics, however, was when the ceremony appeared to stage a mock Last Supper with people dressed in drag.
The performance took place during a floating parade on the River Seine last week and featured drag queens sitting around a table with one person, painted blue, sitting on top of the table. Many argue that the display resembled Da Vinci's painting depicting a scene from the Gospel of John when Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him.
Some of the artists who appeared in the Last Supper performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Reuters/Tingshu Wang)
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Olympic organizers have given mixed messages about what was behind the drag scene. One spokesperson reportedly admitted The New York Post Creative director Thomas Jolly was inspired by Da Vinci's painting, “The Last Supper.” Others have claimed there was no intent to offend and it was simply a nod to Greek mythology.
Many Christian religious leaders and celebrities, including Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, fitness guru Jillian Michaels, Elon Musk, actress Candace Cameron Bure and former transgender influencer Oli London, expressed disappointment over the depiction.
Delegations arrive at the Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Loic Venance/Pool/AFP via Getty Images))
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U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene; Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini; French conservative politician and member of the European Parliament Marion Maréchal; and Hungary's ambassador to the Vatican, Eduard Habsburg, were among the officials who condemned the presentation.
Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Cortney O'Brien, Brian Flood, Ryan Gaydos and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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