«The Last Supper was not my inspiration».
After much controversy comes the reply from the creator of the Opening Ceremony of the Games, Thomas Jolly, in an interview with BFM TV. During which he revealed that the drag queens sitting at the table, a scene that had caused discussion, were not at all recreating Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece: «I think it was quite clear that it was Dionysus arriving at the table, he is the god of the Feast , of wine and father of Sequana, the goddess linked to the river." «The idea - he continues - was a great pagan festival, linked to the gods of Olympus... Olympus, Olympus, Olympic spirit...».
An apology from the organization of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also arrived shortly "if anyone felt offended" . «Obviously – said Anne Descamps, communications director of Paris 2024 – our intention was not to disrespect a religious group, whatever it may be. On the contrary, our intention was to show tolerance and communion. If anyone was offended, we apologize."
The sequence was highly criticized by Catholic bishops, the right and the far right. Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, kicked off the Italian dance: «Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians around the world was a really bad start, dear French. Sleazy." Positions in step with those of sovereignists of the rank of Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister who spoke of the "moral void of the West" during a trip to Transylvania, and of the leader of the Dutch ultra-right Geert Wilders: "Christianity is derided, while if I publish cartoons about Muhammad on the left it is called blasphemy."
Not just politicians: by the French bishops, the drag queens' Last Supper aroused the wrath of the Catholic world. First of all, the Conference of Bishops of France which deplored the "scenes of derision and ridicule towards Christianity".
For the Italian bishops «the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, awaited with great enthusiasm and conceived to celebrate the greatness of France and the unity of the Olympic movement, has turned into a noisy, confusing and self-celebratory chaos . What should have been a solemn celebration of French culture has taken an unexpectedly negative turn, becoming a parade of banal errors, accompanied by trite and predictable ideologies."
(Unioneonline/D)