Olympics Nod At The Last Supper, Sparks Outrage Among Christians

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Games’ opening ceremony was a slap in the face to Christians.

Held every four years, the Olympics are an international multi-sport event featuring sports like marathon swimming, soccer and gymnastics. 

Although the games, which are taking place from July 26 – Aug. 11, are known for uniting millions of people, this year’s opening ceremony sparked controversy.

Highlights of the spectacle included Lady Gaga’s performance of Mon truc en plumes (My Feather Thing) and Celine Dion’s emotional rendition of L’Hymne à l’amour (Hymn to Love).

But the ceremony also featured a scene resembling Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, a mural painting depicting Jesus Christ’s last meal with his 12 disciples, leaving millions outraged.

The performance, which is conveniently difficult to find online, showcased drag queens and members of the LGBTQ+ community dancing to Ça balance pas mal à Paris (The Swing Isn’t Bad In Paris) alongside a long table that eventually turned into a runway. 

French DJ and lesbian activist Barbara Butch, who is facing online harassment and death threats, was featured at the center of the table wearing a silver headdress that many said resembled a halo. 

At the climax of the performance, a large food cover was lifted, revealing French singer-songwriter Philippe Katerine barely clothed in flowers while singing the song Nu (Naked). He later became known as “the semi-naked blue man.” 

On Aug. 3, the Vatican issued a press release stating, “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.”

C Spire, an American telecommunications and technology company pulled their advertisements from the Olympics. 

“We will not be a part of the offensive and unacceptable mockery of The Last Supper,” said Suzy Hays, the CEO and president of C Spire, in a statement.

However, others have defended the performance. 

In an interview with BFMTV, a French media outlet, bearded drag icon Piche, who participated in the performance, said, “[The Last Supper] is something that has been used and reused in pop culture for decades by everyone and that has never posed a problem, [but] the moment it’s queer and drag queens who do it, it poses a problem.”

The International Olympic Committee and Thomas Jolly, director of the games’ opening ceremony, apologized but denied allegations that the performance was meant to resemble The Last Supper. 

Jolly told BFMTV the act was inspired by the Dionysia, a festival honoring the Greek god of fertility, wine and pleasure.

But the IOC should have considered how offensive the similarities between the opening ceremony and da Vinci’s work could be to Christians.

We live in a society that is politically sensitive to race, gender, sexual orientation and yes, even religion. There shouldn’t be different standards when it comes to Christianity.