The Vatican expressed its sadness on Saturday and weigh for some scenes shown at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Gameson July 26, which he considered offensive to Christians and other believers.
“The Holy See has been saddened by some scenes from the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris and cannot but join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offenses suffered against many Christians and believers of other religions,” he noted in a statement.
The Vatican stressed that at an event of the magnitude of the Olympic Games, which brings together nations and cultures around common values, there should be no allusions that ridicule people’s religious beliefs.
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“At a prestigious event where the whole world comes together around common values, there should be no references that ridicule the religious beliefs of many people. Freedom of expression, which is obviously not in question, finds its limit in respect for others,” he warned.
Although the Vatican did not specify the scenes that caused unrest, the controversy has centered on a sequence of the ceremony called “Festivity.”
In this part of the show, a group of people, including several drag queens, appeared at a long table that, according to some interpretations, satirized Jesus’ Last Supper with his apostles before his crucifixion.
The organizers of the ceremony, however, deny this intention and claim that they intended to represent a pagan festival led by Dionysus (or Bacchus), god of wine and theater in Greek mythology.
The show’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, defended the staging, saying it was intended to send “a message of love, a message of inclusion.”
Despite these explanations, the scene has generated strong criticism internationally.
International Reactions
The scene has also been criticised by leaders of other religions and political figures, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who announced his intention to call Pope Francis to denounce what he considered “immorality” at the event.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former US President Donald Trump also expressed their disapproval, calling the performance “shameful.”
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