PARIS (AP) — Paris Olympics organizers apologized to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank CenterLast Supper” during the glamorous opening ceremony, but defended the concept behind it Sunday.
Da Vinci’s painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him. The scene during Friday’s ceremony featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch — an LGBTQ+ icon — flanked by drag artists and dancers.
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 IOC to “lose its distinctive sporting identity and its humanitarian message.”
The ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly had 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 (with) Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said. “Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry.”
Jolly 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.”
Associated Press journalist Samy Magdy contributed reporting from Cairo.
Follow AP coverage of the Olympics at https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
2025-05-01 08:34524 view
2025-05-01 08:121062 view
2025-05-01 08:051109 view
2025-05-01 06:56702 view
2025-05-01 06:08191 view
2025-05-01 05:571716 view
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Cybercriminals could release personal data of many Rhode Islanders as early
Washington — As Americans commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people on Juneteenth, Democratic
Two California counties and a city are suing 37 fossil fuel companies, accusing them of knowingly em
