Vatican Condemns Paris Olympics Ceremony: ‘Insult to the Faithful’ Over Last Supper Controversy

The Catholic Church has responded more than a week after a scene from the opening of the Olympics in Paris that criticized “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. The Vatican said in a statement that it was “an insult to the faithful”.

“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris and cannot help but join the voices that have been raised in recent days to make disgust at the insults made by many Christians and believers of other religions,” – he said in the message (quote from Reuters).

The opening of the Olympics was held on July 26. The ceremony included a performance similar to the Last Supper, with a bearded woman and men dressed as women replacing Jesus and his disciples. At the end of the performance, an almost naked man in blue paint appeared on stage, depicting the ancient Greek god Dionysus.

The scene drew criticism from many quarters. The French Bishops’ Conference said the ceremony included moments of “mockery and ridicule of Christians” and noted that the faithful were “disturbed by the provocative nature of some scenes” at the open.