Religion can play a big role in the lives of people. If someone or something were to make a crude comment or do an act that offends their faith, people will demand action. No one is immune from any retaliation. This even involves powerful organisations. The latter would be applied this time around. The Olympics made a parody of, "The Last Supper." This rubbed some people the wrong way.
This act featured drag artists and multiple dancers.
The performance and scene in question also included Philippe Katerine, a French entertainer, who featured as the Greek god of wine, Dionysus and quickly became known as the "semi-naked blue guy."
Organisers of the Paris Olympics have apologised for what some critics described as a parody of "The Last Supper" during the lavish opening ceremony on Friday. The scene featured drag artists and dancers and was widely criticised by the Catholic church and Christian groups.
Conservative and Christian leaders were quick to condemn the scene as an offensive parody of imagery and symbolism at the center of their faith, despite the insistence of ceremony organisers that they took inspiration from an ancient pagan festival.
The French Catholic Church said the festivities "included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity." "There was clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group," Paris 2024 spokesperson, Anne Descamps, told a news conference on Sunday. She continued, "On the contrary, I think we tried to celebrate community, tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we’re of course really sorry."
While the scene has come under criticism, the opening ceremony was also widely praised, with some people pointing out that the scene was more reminiscent of other works, like "The Feast of the Gods" by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel.
Thomas Jolly, the director of the opening ceremony, insisted that "The Last Supper" – a mural painted by Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci – wasn’t the inspiration behind the scene in an interview.
Jolly said, "Dionysus arrives at the table because he is the Greek God of celebration and that sequence is called 'festivity.' The God of wine, which is also a French jewel and father of Sequana, the Goddess linked to the River Seine. The idea was to create a big pagan party in link with the God of Mount Olympus — and you will never find in me, or in my work, any desire of mocking anyone."
In a post on X, the official Olympics account said the "interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings."
Katerine said he was "deeply sorry" if his appearance shocked people but confirmed it was never his intention and the fallout has been driven by a "misunderstanding." He also stated, "I was brought up as a Christian and the best thing about Christianity is forgiveness. For me, it’s the most beautiful thing there is: forgiveness. So I ask for forgiveness if I have offended anyone and the Christians of the world will grant me that, I’m sure and will understand that it was mostly a misunderstanding. Because when it comes down to it, it wasn’t about representing "The Last Supper" at all."
Katerine quickly became aware of the criticism and said he re-watched his performance to work out why people would be upset.
"I saw something very colourful, reconciliatory and peaceful," he said, adding he was left "surprised."
The singer said it was the first time he had sung the song and was frustrated the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had refused to use subtitles, leading in part, he says, to the confusion that followed.
Despite receiving criticism from some, Katerine was also praised for creating one of the lasting memories from the lavish ceremony.
Several U.S. and world lawmakers are denouncing the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, after drag queens and artists made a spectacle of the Leonardo Da Vinci painting, the Last Supper, which depicts the last meal Jesus had with his apostles.
"Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games," House Speaker, Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a post on X. "The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail."
He then referred to the Bible verse, John 1:15, which reads, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also used the social media platform to voice her opposition to the opening ceremony and the people running the show.
"The French Olympic Committee has been hard at work taking down videos of their satanic, trans and occult opening ceremonies claiming copyright laws," she wrote. "It’s our first amendment right to share these videos and our outright over the anti-Christian Olympic opening ceremonies."
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, posted a picture of the drag queens over another picture of the Last Supper, criticising the act.
"Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians around the world was a really bad start, dear French," he wrote. "Seedy."
Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican, Eduard Habsburg, made a reference to the beheading of Marie Antoinette, saying, "...because decapitating Habsburgs and ridiculising central Christian events are really the FIRST two things that spring to mind when you think of [the Olympic Games]."
While not a lawmaker, Fox Nation host, Piers Morgan, posted an image of the drag queens lined up along a table, asking, "Btw, what the f - - - was all this about?" "A drag queen mockery of the Last Supper at the Olympics? Would they have mocked any other religion like this? Appalling decision," Morgan wrote. "Unsurprising fury. Imagine if they’d mocked Islam like this," he wrote in another post.
The performance at the opening ceremony, which took place on and along the Seine on Friday, also prompted a Mississippi-based telecommunications provider, C Spire, to announce that it would pull its advertisements from Olympics broadcasts. Speaker Mike Johnson described the scene as, "shocking and insulting to Christian people."
Religion is a very sensitive topic to some. I have a strong faith and I am of Christian descend. I don't find the act to be amusing. I find it to be a bit offensive. I'm thrilled that I didn't see that act. I don't know what my initial reaction might have been.
It's clear that I'm not alone. There are people who tend to agree with me. People and organisations can't toy around with sensitive topics/subject matters. They should consult people for advice to show that they don't mean any offence whatsoever.
People will be treading on thin ice if they fail to do this - in my opinion.