Paris Olympics: Vatican Disappointed Over Opening Ceremony, Believed To Be Allegedly Mocking The Last Supper

On Saturday (3 August), the Vatican has expressed its disappointment over certain scenes at the Olympics opening ceremony that it believes offended Christians.

This controversy centres around a segment that some say mocked Jesus' Last Supper, as per a report by the Deccan Chronicle.

The ceremony included a performance with dancers and drag queens that some perceived as reminiscent of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus Christ shared with his apostles.

Organisers, however, have stated their intention was to depict a pagan feast led by the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, but this explanation did not mitigate the criticism.

"The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence given to many Christians and believers of other religions," read a statement from the Vatican, written in French.

"In a prestigious event where the whole world comes together around common values, there should not be allusions ridiculing the religious beliefs of many people," the statement continued, adding that "freedom of expression... finds its limit in respect for others."

Earlier this week, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from an Islamic-rooted party, said he would call Pope Francis to express his condemnation of the ceremony, which he described as showing "immorality against all Christians".

Criticism also came from former US president Donald Trump, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and a group of French bishops, who cited a "mockery of Christianity".

The Vatican did not mention specific parts of the opening ceremony, but the controversy mainly focuses on a segment called "Festivity", which featured dancers and drag queens around a long table.

The show's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, explained that he intended to "send a message of love, a message of inclusion".

Anne Descamps, a spokeswoman for the games' organising committee, said on Sunday: "If people have taken any offence, we are of course really, really sorry."