French bishops deplore ‘scenes of mockery of Christianity’ at Olympic opening ceremony – Diario La Página – 2024-07-30 12:09:55

A day after the opening ceremony of the Olympic Video games, the French Bishops’ Convention regretted in a press release that “sadly, the ceremony included scenes of ridicule and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply remorse,” one thing that has been denounced by varied non secular denominations.

The bishops praised the “great moments of magnificence, pleasure and richness of emotion.” Nevertheless, they turned their ideas to “Christians on all continents who’ve felt damage by the surplus and provocation of sure scenes.”

On the centre of criticism on social media is a replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s portray “The Final Supper” made by a dozen transvestite males.

It was a ceremony of all superlatives. The primary Olympic Video games opening ceremony on the Seine, with a parade of sports activities delegations on 85 boats, quite a few creative work and performances by artists from all around the world such because the American Girl Gaga and the Canadian Celine Dion.

Solidarity of different religions
Following the ceremony, which was broadcast on tv, many leaders of different non secular denominations expressed their solidarity with the French Catholic Church, the assertion stated.

“We’re considering of all Christians on all continents who’ve been damage by the excesses and provocations of sure scenes,” the French bishops stated. “We hope that they’ll perceive that the Olympic celebration goes far past the ideological prejudices of some artists,” the French bishops’ convention continued.

Past the performances, the episcopate recollects the success of the “opening mass of the Olympic truce” which was attended per week in the past by quite a few non secular, political and sporting figures.

For the bishops, “the values ​​and rules expressed and unfold by sport and the Olympic motion contribute to the necessity for unity and fraternity that our world so desperately wants, respecting the convictions of all, round sport that unites us and promotes peace between nations and hearts.”

“Sport is an excellent human exercise that deeply delights the hearts of athletes and spectators alike. Olympism is a motion on the service of this actuality of human unity and fraternity,” they declare, whereas wishing: “Allow us to make method for the sector of competitors, which is able to convey reality, comfort and pleasure to all!”

Responding to requests for clarification, Michaël Aloïsio, spokesman for the Paris 2024 Olympic organizing committee, reacted on Saturday, July 27, to Franceinfo: “We’re altering the strains,” he stated.

“A impolite and frivolous mockery”
Bishop of Winona-Rochester and chairman of the US Convention of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Household Life and Youth, Robert E. Barron, referred to as on Catholics to talk out in opposition to the “grotesque” depiction of the Final Supper on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Bishop Barron posted on his X social media account about one of many moments of the opening ceremony, wherein drag queens briefly carried out the Final Supper.

On this regard, the bishop questioned: “Would they ever have dared to mock Islam in the same method? Would they ever have dreamed of mocking it on this public and impolite method from a scene from the Quran? As I say, we all know the reply to that.”

The bishop stated he cherished town of Paris, the place he did his doctorate for 3 years, however that scene on the opening of the Olympic Video games was “a crude mockery of the Final Supper and I can’t describe it any additional. Simply go browsing. It has gone viral. You possibly can see it.”

For Robert E. Barron, France was making an attempt to place “its finest cultural foot ahead” however questioned whether or not it was “proper to mock this central second in Christianity, the place Jesus on the Final Supper provides his physique and blood in anticipation of the cross and thus presents himself.”

He insisted that it was “a impolite and frivolous mockery” when “France, which was once referred to as the eldest daughter of the Church, Paris, which gave us the considered Thomas Aquinas, Vincent de Paul, King Louis IX, to French Catholic missionaries all through the world.”

He stated that “France, whose tradition – and I’m referring to respect for the person, human rights and freedom – is basically primarily based on Christianity, thought of that it was proper to mock the Christian religion.”

Lastly, he asserted that “what’s attention-grabbing right here is that this deeply secular postmodern society is aware of who its enemy is. They’re naming them and we must always imagine them. They’re telling us who they’re. We must always imagine them, but in addition we Christians, we Catholics, shouldn’t be ashamed. We must always resist. We must always make our voices heard.”