Paris 2024 Olympics: Organisers Apologize To Christians

The organising committee of Paris 2024 Olympics has issued an apology to Catholics and other Christians offended by a controversial scene in the opening ceremony.

This segment featured drag queens, a transgender model, and a singer dressed as the Greek god of wine, alluding to Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper.

Performed against the scenic backdrop of the River Seine, the act aimed to depict Dionysus and highlight “the absurdity of violence between human beings,” according to organisers who explained their intentions on X.

However, the portrayal sparked significant outrage among Catholics, Christian groups, and conservative politicians worldwide, prompting the committee to apologise.

“There was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. The opening ceremony aimed to celebrate community tolerance,” stated Anne Descamps, the Paris 2024 spokesperson, at a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence, we are really sorry.”

France, a nation with a rich Catholic heritage, also has a strong tradition of secularism and anti-clericalism. Blasphemy is legal and viewed by many as a crucial element of free speech. Supporters of the performance commended its message of inclusivity and tolerance.

In contrast, the Catholic Church in France expressed regret over a ceremony it felt included “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” Monsignor Emmanuel Gobilliard, a delegate of the bishops of France for the Games, noted that some French athletes who are Christians struggled to sleep due to the controversy over the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Malta and a member of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, reported that he had contacted France’s ambassador to Valletta to express his concerns about the “gratuitous insult.”

Similarly, the Italian bishops’ conference criticized the ceremony, stating that what should have been a celebration of French culture instead took an “unexpectedly negative turn, becoming a parade of banal errors, accompanied by trite and predictable ideologies.”

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