Vatican belatedly joins chorus of protest over Olympic Last Supper parody

ROME – Belatedly joining a global chorus of outrage and condemnation, the Vatican on Saturday reacted to an apparent parody of the Last Supper during the July 26 opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, saying it was “saddened” by the display.

Freedom of speech, the Vatican said, shouldn’t be called into question, but it must be balanced against respect for others.

The brief, 90-word statement was released in French.

“The Holy See is saddened by some scenes of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and cannot but join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offense done to many Christians and believers of other religions,” it said.

“In a prestigious event where the whole world comes together around common values, there should be no allusions that ridicule the religious convictions of many people,” the statement said.

“Freedom of expression, which is obviously not called into question, finds its limit in respect for others,” it said.

The statement comes eight days after the opening ceremony sparked a wave of international backlash.

At one point during the event, a group of around 18 drag performers, including several famous Drag Race France personalities, struck poses behind what appeared to be a long table with the Seine River and Eiffel Tower in the background.

At the center was a woman in a low-cut dress wearing a large silver headdress, reminiscent of the halo behind Jesus’s head in many artistic depictions of the Last Supper, indicating his divine status as the son of God. The woman made a heart shape with her hands as the group stared into the camera before breaking out into a routine.

As models then took the stage for an impromptu fashion show, the Last Supper characters swayed on the sidelines as a little girl stood with them. Later, a large serving tray was placed on the stage, with the top being removed to reveal a scantily clad man painted head to toe in blue, apparently evoking the Greek God Dionysus.

At one point, the genitalia of a man wearing short black hotpants was exposed while a little girl stood in front of him, in front of what was supposed to be the table.

Some commentators claimed that the performance was evocative of artistic depictions of the Feast of Dionysus, rather than the Last Supper, as a nod to the Greek roots of the Olympic games. However, some performers themselves stated in social media posts and in comments to French media that they had, in fact, intended to imitate the Last Supper.

Organizers came under fire for the spectacle, with critics condemning not only the provocative nature of the drag show and the apparent mockery of Christianity, but also for the presence of a child in the performance.

Catholic leaders from around the world, including the French bishops conference and two Vatican officials, condemned the incident, with at least one, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and adjunct secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, making a formal complaint to the French ambassador to Malta, and encouraging others to do the same in their nations.

Prominent leaders from other religions, including Judaism and Islam, also made public condemnations of the scene, and some companies, including C Spire, pulled advertising from the Olympics.

Facing protests from various faith groups and leaders around the world, representatives of the International Olympic Committee later apologized for the performance, saying, “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group.”

On Thursday Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a phone call to Pope Francis in which he urged a collective condemnation of what he said was the “ridicule” of moral and religious values at the Olympic opening ceremony, according to a statement from the president’s office.

The Vatican has not confirmed the call or its contents, nor has it denied it.

Saturday’s statement from the Vatican comes as Pope Francis in recent days has faced increased criticism for staying silent on the matter, while prominent leaders of other religions have made public condemnations.