Vatican ‘Saddened’ by ‘Certain Scenes’ During Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower in Paris on June 7, 2024. Dreamstime/TNS

The Vatican said on Aug. 3 that it was “saddened” by scenes depicted during the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony last month amid controversy over the apparent parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

In a statement issued in French, the Vatican said that 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 segment in the July 26 Olympics ceremony appeared to portray the biblical scene of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles sharing a last meal before his crucifixion. However, it featured drag queens, a transgender individual, and a naked singer who was appearing as the Greek god Dionysus.

A number of Christian groups decried the opening ceremony, and about two dozen bishops called for a formal apology.

The Vatican’s statement is the first public comment from the Catholic Church’s governing body on the matter. However, the Vatican didn’t say why it was issuing its statement more than a week after the opening ceremony and it didn’t make reference to “The Last Supper” or the controversial scene.

“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,” the Vatican statement reads. “Freedom of expression, which is obviously not called into question, finds its limit in respect for others.”

One day after the opening ceremony, Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps told reporters that there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” adding that the ceremony had “tried to celebrate community tolerance.”

“If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry,” she said.

Later, the International Olympic Committee said in a written statement that it has “taken note of and welcomes the clarification given by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee regarding the Opening Ceremony.”

“In the daily press briefing, the Organizing Committee said that there was never any intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief. They reiterated that their intention with the Opening Ceremony was always to celebrate community and tolerance,” the statement said, saying it was not trying to offend anyone and that “they were sorry.”

Call With Turkish President

Pope Francis had a phone call on Aug. 1 with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, according to the Turkish leader. Erdogan, who is Muslim, said that he told the pope that the ceremony featured “immoral displays,” describing it as a disrespect toward religious values that should raise an “alarm bell against the moral decay the world is drifting to.”

With the display, Erdogan’s office added, “religious and moral values have been ridiculed and that the honor of humanity has been trampled upon under the guise of freedom of expression and tolerance.”

The Vatican hasn’t publicly commented on Erdogan’s remarks.

Erdogan’s office said in the call, “This offends Muslims as much as the Christian world, and that he believes it is necessary to raise a collective voice and display a unified stance against such actions.”

New Apology Sought

The Vatican’s statement was issued after about two dozen Catholic bishops around the world called on the Olympics organizers to issue a more formal apology.

“With shock, the world watched as the summer Olympics in Paris opened with a grotesque and blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper. It is hard to understand how the faith of over 2 billion people can be so casually and intentionally blasphemed,” their open letter said.

“We, Catholic bishops from around the world, on behalf of Christians everywhere, demand that the Olympic Committee repudiate this blasphemous action and apologize to all people of faith.

“While it is hard to believe that such an intentionally hateful mockery of any other religion would be displayed on the world stage, this despicable action nonetheless threatens people of all faiths and of none, as it opens the door to those with power doing whatever they wish to people they do not like,” they added.

Reuters contributed to this report.