The Paris Olympics organizers have apologized to those offended by a tableau during Friday’s opening ceremony that resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” The performance provoked outrage among religious conservatives worldwide. Despite the backlash, the organizers defended the artistic concept.
Da Vinci’s painting illustrates the moment Jesus Christ announced an apostle would betray him. During the ceremony on the Debilly Bridge, DJ and producer Barbara Butch, an LGBTQ+ icon who identifies as a “love activist,” wore a silver headdress resembling a halo. She led the festivities on a footbridge over the Seine, surrounded by drag artists, dancers, and other performers.
Religious conservatives globally condemned the segment. The French Catholic Church’s conference of bishops criticized the “scenes of derision,” claiming they mocked Christianity. This sentiment was echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. The Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed “deep regret” on Sunday, suggesting the ceremony could damage the IOC’s unique sporting identity and humanitarian message.
Marion Maréchal, a prominent French far-right politician, criticized the performance on social media. “To all the Christians worldwide who watched the Paris 2024 ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France speaking but a left-wing minority eager for any provocation,” she posted on the social platform X, a sentiment shared by religious conservatives internationally.
In Romania, controversial social media influencers Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate joined a protest against the Olympics near the French embassy in Bucharest on Sunday. The Tate brothers condemned the Olympic Games for mocking Christianity during the opening ceremony and called for athletes to boycott the event.