The organizers of the Paris Olympics have offered their apologies following an onslaught of criticism from Catholic and Christian groups and conservative figures outraged by the perceived mockery of the "The Last Supper" during the sporting event's opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
The reportedly unintentional parody resembled renown Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci's painting of the biblical scene wherein Jesus Christ took his final meal with his twelve disciples before he was crucified.
The Catholic Church in France denounced the ceremony as one with "scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity."
The Olympics ceremony, which featured a blue and semi-nude French performer Philippe Katerine surrounded by drag queens, was meant to depict a "big pagan party" instead, Thomas Jolly, its director, explained.
"Dionysus arrives at the table because he is the Greek God of celebration and that sequence is called 'festivity,'" he said on Sunday, July 28.
"The God of wine, which is also a French jewel, and father of Sequana, the Goddess linked to the River Seine. The idea was to create a big pagan party in link with the God of Mount Olympus--and you will never find in me, or in my work, any desire of mocking anyone."
Organizers wrote on X that the scene was supposed to call attention to "the absurdity of violence between human beings."
"Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group," Paris 2024 Spokesperson Anne Descamps stated.
"On the contrary, we intend to celebrate community, tolerance. Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are of course, really sorry," she added.
"I did not intend to be subversive or to mock or shock," Jolly said. "In France, we're allowed to love who we want, how we want. In France, we can believe or not believe. In France we have a lot of rights, and I wanted to convey those values throughout the ceremony."
