Olympics Opening Ceremony 'Last Supper'

 Overview 

The Olympic Games are definitely one of the most important and captivating sports events in the world. Many nations around the globe partake in this event and participate in various sports activities. The importance of this event boils down to bringing people together, shedding light on graceful human values such as tolerance, unity, and kindness, as well as showcasing amazing performances carried out by talented athletes.

The history of the Olympic Games dates back to 776 BC in Olympia, Greece; hence the designation Olympic Games; it took them 1503 years to come back. The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece, thanks to a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who came up with the idea of reviving the Olympic Games in 1894.

During the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris, the ceremony organizers thought of presenting a sketch portraying one of the most famous De Vinci artworks, “The Last Supper,” which is a depiction of the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his closest followers sharing a last meal with his twelve disciplines.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony: Contavertial Responses 

Olympic games are well known for their breathtaking and amazing opening ceremonies that showcase the beauty and charm of the sporting events, and it is a wonderful opportunity to bring people together from all over the world.

During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening scene, the organization in charge of the ceremony thought of performing a sketch portraying one of the most well-known Di Vinci artworks, “The Last Supper,” which depicts a biblical scene of Jesus sharing his last meal with his closest followers, where he announces that some of them will betray him.

 

This sketch has been sparking waves of resentment and outrage among people, especially religious groups, most notably Christians, who thought that the sketch was extremely offensive and disrespectful to their beliefs and to their religious figure, Jesus Christ.

 

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Malta, stated that he has contacted the French ambassador and discussed the Olympic opening ceremony as a “gratuitous insult.”.

 

Furthermore, the opening ceremony event was covered in various social media platforms and news articles, and many people thought it was an utter disrespect for Christians and Christianity as the “Last Supper” sketch was carried out by individuals with questionable clothing and appearance.

 

The event sparked a firestorm of religious controversy for the “Last Supper” scene, which some refer to as parody. It drew strong backlash and criticism from people, including religious groups, who claimed that it was a mockery of the segregated Christian event.

 

Muslims also expressed their outrage concerning the drag queen-led parody of Last Supper performed in Paris, as Ayatollah Al Khoumaini, the supreme leader of Iran, denounced the portrayal as an insult to Jesus Christ and insisted on respecting religious figures.

 

The backlash was not limited to religious circles, as many notable political figures criticized the event too, such as Italy’s far-right leader Matteo Salvini, who described the segment as "squalid,"  Hungarian prime minister Victor Orban, and Mike Jhonson, speaker of the US House of Representatives, who stated that the event was definitely insulting and offensive to all Christians around the world.

Although the vast majority of responses were negative, some people defended the event, claiming that it was meant to include all types of people without any distinction, which is the main essence of diversity and acceptance. 

Bottomline

The Paris Olympic Games ceremony of 2024, particularly the “Last Supper” sketch, sparked huge waves of criticism and backlash as it caused outrage and anger among many people, especially religious groups.

This situation shed light on the challenges involved in carrying out artistic expressions with respect for different religious and cultural values.