Vatican Denounces Olympic Opening Ceremony

On Saturday, eight days after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games’ opening ceremony on July 26, the Vatican released a statement condemning “certain scenes during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.” The phrase “certain scenes” referred to the alleged mockery of the Last Supper.

The Vatican’s statement does not specifically call out any part of the opening ceremony. It condemned “allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people” and acknowledged the “offense” that “certain scenes” may have caused both Christians and people of other religions.

The statement advocated for the world to “share common values” at the “prestigious event” where the “world comes together.” The Vatican also declared that while freedom of expression “was clearly not called into question here,” it should be “limited by respect for others.”

The Last Supper

The performance during the opening ceremony consisted of 18 performers gathered at a long table with the Seine as a backdrop. Some performers were in drag and the middle performer wore a halo. Many people have called the display a mockery of Christianity and pointed out the similarity between the layout of the performers and Leonardo da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper.

People across the world including former President Donald Trump, French bishops, and the Muslim Council of Elders have condemned the performance. Only one sponsor of the Olympics, Missouri-based C-Spire, pulled its advertising in response to the opening ceremony.

A Mockery?

There has been considerable debate over whether Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies was trying to mock the Last Supper or if the performers were intended to reflect the Feast of Dionysius, also called Dionysia, and pay homage to the Olympics’ Greek origins.

On July 27, the day after the opening ceremony, an Olympic spokesperson told the New York Post that Jolly “took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting.” The statement came after the Paris Olympics attempted to deny that it was based on da Vinci’s painting through a statement on X. The account is now suspended.

On July 29, the spokesperson reached out to the Post again with an updated statement, saying that the performance “depicts a great paean feast in which the gods of Olympus take part.” Jolly has also claimed to have taken inspiration from Jan van Bijlert’s painting Feast of the Gods.  

The Paris Olympics’ apology issued an apology saying, “If people have taken any offense, we are of course really, really sorry.” 

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