Christian voices protest 'outrageous and provocative scenes' at opening ceremony
French bishops criticized the "mockery and mockery of Christianity," while in Lebanon the bishopric of Antelias condemned the one scene as a despicable act.
OLJ / 28 July 2024 15:37
Smoke in the colors of the French national flag billows in the background during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (Credit: Luis Robayo/Pool/AFP)
Certain sequences from the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games continue to cause controversy, in particular one in which Drag Queens surrounded the singer Philippe Katherine, naked and painted blue on a meal tray. While many spectators saw in this painting a reference to the gods of ancient Greece, the origin of the Olympic Games, and particularly Dionysus, the god of wine, others pointed to a reference to Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, seeing it as an attack on this passage of the New Testament and therefore on Christianity.
As a result, a campaign of criticism and homophobic comments flooded social networks, with some figures from the French far right taking part, and press releases were issued denouncing what was interpreted as an attack on the sacred.
In a statement, the French Bishops' Conference said that “the opening ceremony ... last night [Friday] offered the whole world marvellous moments of beauty and joy, rich in emotion and universally acclaimed,” but that it “unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.”
The Conference said it was thinking "of all the Christians on every continent who have been hurt by the outrageousness and provocation of certain scenes."
"We want them to understand that the Olympic celebration goes far beyond the ideological biases of a few artists," the text added.
Paris 2024 organizers apologized on Sunday to Catholics and other Christian groups angered by the depiction including in the ceremony. "It is clear that there was never any intention to disrespect any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance," Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told a press conference. "We believe that this ambition has been achieved. If anyone was offended, we are very sorry."
Bishopric of Antelias denounces blasphemy
These outraged reactions spread to Lebanon and elsewhere, and the controversy flared up on social networks between those who condemned the scene and those who saw it as an exaggeration.
However, a virulent reaction came from the bishopric of Antelias (Metn, Mount Lebanon), which issued a statement condemning "the hatred towards Christians and the blasphemy against Jesus Christ that appeared during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris," and which "constitutes a new degradation of our human society."
The press release added, "We can only condemn this despicable act and this filthy profanation, which undermines all our sacredness in the name of freedom and free expression, and which also insults the spirit of the Olympic Games."
Beyond these criticisms and the controversy surrounding the supposed meaning of the depiction in question, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris on Friday evening was hailed the world over for its creativity and the splendor of its achievements.
This article was originally published in French on L'Orient-Le Jour.
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