(LifeSiteNews) — The committee for the Olympic Games has offered a quasi-apology after being condemned for an opening show featuring drag queens and demonic-looking figures carrying out a grotesque and blasphemous parody of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.
In a July 28 post on X, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a statement saying it was “sorry” if “anyone was offended” by the blasphemous opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games last Friday. The man behind the event also claimed that the display was not intended to mock the Last Supper but was merely a depiction of a “pagan party.”
“The IOC has taken note of and welcomes the clarification given by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee regarding the Opening Ceremony,” the IOC wrote.
The IOC has taken note of and welcomes the clarification given by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee regarding the Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/kEB9zyw3Ue
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 28, 2024
“In the daily press briefing, the Organising Committee said that there was never any intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief,” it continued.
“They reiterated that their intention with the Opening Ceremony was always to celebrate community and tolerance,” the IOC claimed.
The statement goes on to apologize “if anyone was offended by certain scenes,” without mentioning the mockery of The Last Supper featuring drag performers.
Since the grotesque event, those involved, including the man behind the blasphemous display, have claimed that the show did not intend to imitate the Last Supper.
The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, told French broadcaster BFM, “The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus.”
“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone,” he asserted. “I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.”
Similarly, Paris Olympics spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters, “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group.”
“On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry,” she added.
The blasphemous ceremony is being roundly condemned on social media by Christians and non-believers alike, with many pointing to it as a “new low.”
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said the ceremony reflected “secular fundamentalism” having “infiltrated the Olympics, even to the point of blaspheming the religion of over a billion people,” while Bishop Joseph Strickland called it a “new low for our human community.”
Secular fundamentalism has now infiltrated the Olympics, even to the point of blaspheming the religion of over a billion people. Would they do that with any other religion? I ask all of our people to pray for a restoration of good will and respect. https://t.co/gO8PK0gBcB
— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone (@ArchCordileone) July 27, 2024
The bigotry toward Christians and the blasphemy of Jesus Christ, God’s Divine Son on display at the Olympics is a new low for our human community. Shame on those who produced this mockery, shame on the Olympic Committee and the nation of France for allowing it. This tarnishes… pic.twitter.com/NLQuARKHyu
— Bishop J. Strickland (@BishStrickland) July 27, 2024