Olympics opening ceremony tableau sparks controversy among Christian community

While the theatrical opening ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics brought memorable moments, one scene from the performance has prompted mixed reactions.

The four-hour ceremony on July 26 kicked off the start of the Summer Games, with athletes gliding down the River Seine and performers reenacting historic moments.

In one scene, drag queens and dancers lined a long table in an image that sparked controversy after some connected the moment with Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” portrait of Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles.

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Though many found the moment an inclusive celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, others took to social media to call the imagery a “mockery” and “insulting to Christian people” following the performance.

On July 28, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized “if people have taken any offense.”

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think that (artistic director) Thomas Jolly really tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said at a press conference. “We believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

That same day, the ceremony's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, confirmed on French television that da Vinci's 15th century piece was not his inspiration for the scene.

Read on for why some have compared this Olympics opening ceremony performance to the “The Last Supper,” how people are reacting and more.

Why some are connecting the Olympics opening ceremony to ‘The Last Supper’

In one scene from the opening ceremony, a dinner platter lifted to show a mainly nude French actor, Philippe Katerine, singing. In the background, dancers and drag queens struck poses along a long table.

Panning through the tableau, a camera first showed a person crowned with an aureole in front of DJ turntables. The next shot showed the rest of the table lined with performers holding their poses.

The table then transformed into a catwalk, as the drag queens and models took the stage in homage to Paris’ fashion scene.

The official X account for the Olympic Games shared photos of the moment and referenced Dionysus, Greek god of wine-making, fruitfulness and ecstasy.

“The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” read a tweet from the official X account of the Olympics.

But some connected the tableau to the biblical scene da Vinci portrayed in “The Last Supper,” when Jesus Christ and his apostles shared a final meal before the crucifixion.

When asked about the backlash July 27, the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said at a press conference that he did not intend “to be subversive,” “mock” or “shock.”

“We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that,” he said. “In France, we have freedom of creation, artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country. I didn’t have any specific messages that I wanted to deliver. In France, we are republic, we have the right to love whom we want, we have the right not to be worshippers, we have a lot of rights in France, and this is what I wanted to convey.”

Appearing on French news channel BFM-TV July 28, Jolly confirmed “The Last Supper” was not his inspiration for the piece.

"It was not my inspiration, the Christian Last Supper," Jolly said in French. "There is (Dionysus), who is at this table. He is there because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology, the god of wine, who is one of the jewels of France."

Jolly continued, describing the scene, "And the father of Sequana, the goddess who is related to the river, the Seine. The idea was to have a Pagan festival linked to the Gods of Olympus. You will never find in me a desire to mock and denigrate anyone."

Reactions to Olympics opening ceremony performance

Some were supportive of the artistic vision, arguing the tableau was fighting to make a statement on inclusivity.

“We know in the LGBTQ community in France we are far from what the ceremony showed. There’s much progress to do in society regarding transgender people. It’s terrible that to legally change their identity they are forced to be on trial,” France’s Inter-LGBT President James Leperlier said, per the AP.

Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, Katerine said in French that the entire ceremony was “moving” and “grandiose.”

“I was proud of it because it’s my culture. We are full of different people and each person lives in their own way and above all has the right to do so. I loved doing it,” he said.

Katerine added that he hoped to get the following message across: “If we are naked, there is no war because there are no weapons.”

“Drag Race France” host Nicky Doll, one of the performers, told TODAY.com that any negativity following the performance “hasn’t really affected me.”

“First and foremost, it was definitely an honor. France took very seriously the role of being the host of these Olympics, and we really wanted to showcase the depth of French culture," Nicky said.

She continued, “It was not just about queer people or drag, it was also about waacking, about the ballroom scene, about vogueing, about hip hop. It was all about music and celebration and a big banquet and a big party.”

Le Filip, who won the third season of “Drag Race France” this year, told AP they were “amazed.”

“I thought it would be a five-minute drag event with queer representation. I was amazed. It started with Lady Gaga, then we had drag queens, a huge rave, and a fire in the sky. It felt like a crowning all over again. I am proud to see my friends and queer people on the world stage," Le Filip said.

Others, including celebrities, U.S. political figures and Catholic church leaders, expressed outrage at the scene.

Actor Candace Cameron Bure, whose husband is a two-time Olympic medalist, called the performance “disgusting.”

“(To) see the opening ceremonies completely blaspheme and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting,” she said in an Instagram post July 28. “It made me so sad. And someone said, ‘You shouldn’t be sad. You should be mad about it.’ And I’m like, ‘Trust me. It makes me mad.’ But I’m more sad, because I’m sad for souls.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson shared an image July 27 of the scene on X and called the tableau “shocking” and “insulting.”

Catholic leaders in France called the scene a “mockery of Christianity” in a statement, Reuters reported.

“This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore,” the Conference of French bishops said in a statement.

Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker who gave a controversial commencement speech touching on birth control, COVID-19 restrictions, women’s roles and more earlier this year, quoted the Bible on X after the ceremony.

“‘Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting,’” he wrote, citing, “Galatians 6:7-8.”

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This article was originally published on TODAY.com