Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed strong disapproval over the portrayal of holy figures during the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony. This reaction follows an apology from the Paris 2024 organising committee to Catholics and other Christian groups, who were outraged by a scene in the opening ceremony. The performance, which evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” featured drag queens, a transgender model, and a singer made up as the Greek god of wine.
Khamenei took to X, stating, “Respect for #JesusChrist (pbuh) is an indisputable, definite matter for Muslims. We condemn these insults directed at the holy figures of divine religions, including Jesus Christ (pbuh).”
Respect for #JesusChrist (pbuh) is an indisputable, definite matter for Muslims. We condemn these insults directed at the holy figures of divine religions, including Jesus Christ (pbuh).#Olympic2024
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 30, 2024
The intended interpretation of Dionysus aimed to raise awareness “of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” according to the organisers’ statement on X.
The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings. #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/FBlQNNUmvV
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024
Despite the intended message, the performance sparked global outrage among Catholics, Christian groups, and conservative politicians. The Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps addressed the controversy in a press conference, stating, “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry”, The Guardian reported.
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Catholic Church In France Criticised ‘Mockery Of Christianity’
France, with its rich Catholic heritage and long tradition of secularism, allows blasphemy as part of freedom of speech. While some praised the tableau’s message of inclusivity and tolerance, the Catholic Church in France criticised it for “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 experienced difficulty sleeping due to the controversy’s fallout. Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a top Catholic official in Malta, conveyed his displeasure to France’s ambassador to Valletta, labelling the performance a “gratuitous insult”, Guardian’s report stated.
The Italian bishops’ conference remarked that what should have been a celebration of French culture took an “unexpectedly negative turn,” calling the event a “parade of banal errors, accompanied by trite and predictable ideologies.” Avvenire, an Italian newspaper affiliated with the Catholic Church, questioned, “Don’t take us for moralistic bigots, but what’s the point of having to experience every single global event, even a sporting one, as if it were a Gay Pride?”
Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini described the segment as “squalid” and criticised it for insulting billions of Christians worldwide. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commented on the “moral void of the west.”
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, denied any intention of religious subversion. “We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that,” he explained on Saturday, the report stated.
