A mid-act at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony has sparked heavy criticism from Christians worldwide, who are calling it a “mockery of the Christian faith”.
The four-hour ceremony kicked off the start of the Summer Games July 26, with athletes gliding down the River Seine and performers reenacting internationally historic moments.
During a controversial tableau, drag queens and dancers lined a long table in an image that resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” portrait of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles – a depiction of deep significance for Christians as it represents their last Passover meal before Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and crucifixion.
The world watched in disbelief as the drag performance also involved children; it was immediately and widely condemned as “hyper-sexualised” and “blasphemous” by critics.
The opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games on Friday featured several high-profile artists, including Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, and others.
But the tableau prompted strong reactions from believers and church leaders.
Many have called the imagery a “mockery” and “insulting to Christian people.” Meanwhile, others found the moment a celebration for the LGBTQ+ community and inclusivity.
The CEO of the UK Evangelical Alliance, Gavin Calver, said that while he hoped the Paris Olympics would be a great success, he called the depiction “utterly insensitive, unnecessary and offensive”. However, it really was appalling to see Christianity so openly mocked in the opening ceremony with the unbelievably crass portrayal of the Last Supper,” he wrote on X.
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston called it “a disgrace” and “blasphemy.” In the UK, Gavin Calver, leader of the Evangelical Alliance, described it as “appalling to see Christianity so openly mocked,” calling it “utterly insensitive, unnecessary, and offensive.”
Bishop Robert Barron, a Catholic leader in the US, also condemned the act on social media, labelling it a “gross mockery of the Last Supper.”
He said: “France, once known as the eldest daughter of the Church, and Paris, which gave us Thomas Aquinas, has chosen to mock the Christian faith. France, whose culture—and I mean the honouring of the individual and human rights and freedom—is deeply grounded in Christianity, felt that mocking Christianity was appropriate. You know, a question I would pose, we all know the answer to it. ‘Would they ever dared mock Islam in a similar way?’ ‘Would they ever dreamed of mocking in this in this gross, you know, public way, a scene from the from the Koran?’ As I say, we all know the answer. This deeply secularist postmodern society knows who its enemy is. They’re naming it, and we should believe them. We Christians, we Catholics, should not be sheepish. We should resist and make our voices heard.”
Bishop Emmanuel Gobillard, a spokesperson representing the Holy See for the 2024 Paris Olympics, told NBC News that the depiction of the Last Supper left him “deeply hurt.” “The fact that our religion should be mocked is usual and we are used to blasphemy in France, but the context isn’t the same,” he said. “In an event that brings together all or part of the population, I found this staging hurtful and out of place.”
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker called the depiction “crazy” in a post on Instagram and quoted the New Testament book Epistle to the Galatians, warning that “for what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap.”
Far-right French politician Marion Marechal-Le Pen said in a post on X that the performance was “not France that is speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation.”
American podcaster Clint Russell wrote: “This is crazy. Opening your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples at the The Last Supper with men in drag. There are 2.4 billion Christians on earth and apparently the Olympics wanted to declare loudly to all of them, right out of the gate: NOT WELCOME.”
Author Matt Walsh added: “The Olympics opens by making a demonic mockery of the Christian faith.”
Elon Musk also joined the backlash, describing the performance as “extremely disrespectful to Christians” and lamenting that “Christianity has become toothless.”
Moreover, critics pointed out additional issues with the ceremony, including sound problems, incorrectly referring to South Korea as ‘North Korea,’ and hoisting the Olympic flag upside down.
(Agencies)
