As we’ve reported, parts of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony were offensive, lewd, religion-mocking performances that had nothing to do with sports or athletic excellence. The blowback was intense, as it should have been, but there has been one voice that’s been missing from the response: that of the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.
Many were outraged that one section in particular seemed to mock the final evening of Jesus Christ depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting, “The Last Supper.”
But now the Pope has spoken out, and like many, he’s disturbed.
In a statement released Saturday, the Vatican deplored the “offence” caused by the depraved show:
“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence caused to many Christians and believers of other religions,” the statement said.
“At a prestigious event where the whole world comes together to share common values, there should be no allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people. The freedom of expression, which is clearly not called into question here, is limited by respect for others.”
This is what they thought would be a good addition to the ceremonies:
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JUST IN: #Vatican issues statement regarding #ParisOlympics2024 Opening Ceremony, saying “the Holy See was saddened by certain scenes…& can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence caused to many Christians & believers of other religions.” pic.twitter.com/8tB1vB9xPp
— Diane Montagna (@dianemontagna) August 3, 2024
The organizers have issued dueling narratives about the in-your-face presentation, failing to take accountability and trying to hide behind woke-speak:
The performance took place during a floating parade on the Seine River last week and featured drag queens seated around a table with one person, painted blue, sitting atop the table. Many argue the display resembled the Da Vinci painting depicting a scene from the Gospel of John when Jesus announces that one of his apostles would betray him.
There’s been mixed messaging from Olympic organizers over what was behind the drag scene. One spokesperson reportedly admitted to the New York Post that creative director Thomas Jolly took inspiration from da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper.” Others have claimed no offense was intended, and it was merely a nod to Greek mythology.
Unlike some, I am watching the competitions because I don’t fault the athletes for the gross ceremony, and I refuse to allow the left to take yet another thing that I used to enjoy away from me. That being said, it’s been difficult between the middle finger given by the Paris organizers to the 2.4 billion Christians on the planet and the controversy over allowing an intersex boxer to smash the face of a biological female opponent.
Abuse or sport?
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I’m not sure why Pope Francis took so long to weigh in, but his words mean so much to many around the world. It’s important that he finally called out this loathsome production for what it was: a slap in the face to billions of viewers around the globe.
