Paris Olympics Organizers Apologize for 'The Last Supper' Art Display

The organizers behind the Paris Olympics apologized to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" during Friday's opening ceremony and provoked outrage by religious conservatives around the world.

Da Vinci's painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him as the tableau Featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch — an LGBTQ+ icon, was surrounded by Drag artists, dancers, an image that upset the right.

Religious conservatives from around the world decried the segment, with the French Catholic Church's conference of bishops deploring "scenes of derision" that they said made a mockery of Christianity — a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

The Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed its "deep regret" Sunday, saying the ceremony could cause the International Olympic Committee to "lose its distinctive sporting identity and its humanitarian message."

The ceremony's artistic director Thomas Jolly distanced his scene from any "Last Supper" parallels after the ceremony, saying it was meant to celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy.

Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps was asked about the outcry during an International Olympic Committee news conference on Sunday.

"Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think we really did try to celebrate community tolerance," Descamps said. "If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry."

Jolly also explained his intentions to The Associated Press after the ceremony.

"My wish isn't to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock," Jolly said. "Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide."

إعتذار من منظمي حفل أولمبياد باريس بعد العرض الفني للوحة "العشاء الأخير"!