Vatican irritated: "Blasphemous disrespect" at Olympia party
The Olympic Summer Games in Paris are opened with an opulent ceremony on the Seine. As expected, the spectacular show has drawn criticism. The Vatican has expressed criticism of the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. During the nearly four-hour show, there were themes of equality, brotherhood, and respect. "This lofty ideal was tarnished by a blasphemous desecration of one of the holiest moments of Christianity," said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a Catholic Church institution for ethical questions. Paglia expressed his criticism in an interview with the newspaper "Il Giornale."
The Vatican is not the only one to have expressed criticism of the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. In reference to a scene that recalled Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting "The Last Supper," where Jesus Christ and his apostles are depicted, the apostles were instead portrayed by drag queens, a transgender model, and a nearly naked singer at the Olympic opening ceremony.
Before Paglia, other church leaders had already expressed their displeasure, including the French Bishops' Conference. Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau, responsible for sports in the German Bishops' Conference, wrote in X that the ceremony was a "queer Last Supper," a "low point," and "overly flooded in its staging." Conservatives and right-wing politicians in France also voiced criticism, as did the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The organizers dismissed the criticism and referred to artistic freedom. Tony Estanguet, the organizer, stated that the show was meant to provoke thought and had been aligned with the IOC's fundamental principles. "Our intention was never to be crass," said the director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly. "Artistic creation is free in France." The idea was to be inclusive, which means not excluding anyone.
The International Olympic Committee, despite the criticism from various religious and political entities, stand by the controversial opening ceremony, citing artistic freedom as their justification. The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris faced criticism even from the German Bishops' Conference, with Bishop Stefan Oster describing the ceremony as a "queer Last Supper."
