After the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics faced heavy criticism, the Paris 2024 Olympic organizers have issued an apology.
Recently, the Paris 2024 organizers apologized to Catholics and Christians for a performance by drag queens (male artists dressing up and exaggeratingly makeup as females) that re-enacted Leonardo da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper.
“We had no intention of disrespecting any religion. The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics merely aimed to celebrate the community’s tolerance and compassion,” Anne Descamps, spokesperson for the Olympic 2024 organizers, affirmed at a press conference.
Anne Descamps added: “We believe that the purpose of the opening ceremony was achieved. If people felt offended, we truly apologize.”
The re-enactment of The Last Supper at the 2024 Olympics’ opening ceremony sparked controversy.
Meanwhile, the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, also explained: “My intention was not to sabotage, mock, or shock. I wanted to send a message of love and tolerance, not division.”
According to The Guardian, the Olympic 2024 organizers were forced to apologize due to the performance causing outrage and offense among Catholics and Christians. The re-enactment of The Last Supper during the opening ceremony featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch, an LGBTQ icon, surrounded by artists and dancers. This performance received criticism from around the world.
The Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church in France condemned the “mocking scenes” in the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, calling it a mockery of Christianity.
The Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed “deep regret,” stating that the opening ceremony might cause the IOC to “lose its unique sports identity and humanitarian message.”
Marion Marechal, a Member of the European Parliament, apologized “to all Christians worldwide who felt offended” by the performance at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony. Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, called the act “offensive” and “vulgar.”
In addition to the above performance, the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony faced criticism for other incidents, such as mistakenly calling the South Korean sports team by the wrong name and hanging the Olympic flag upside down. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an apology after the South Korean sports team was mistakenly introduced as coming from… North Korea during the Paris 2024 opening ceremony. “We sincerely apologize for the mistake made while introducing the South Korean athletes during the opening ceremony broadcast,” the IOC’s official Korean-language account wrote on social network X.
Meanwhile, the Korean Olympic Committee reported the incident to the Olympic organizers. They hope that such a mistake will not happen again.
