Egypt’s Coptic Church, Azhar Condemn Paris Olympics Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics stirred widespread controversy and outrage among Christian and Muslim leaders worldwide.

Religious leaders denounced a scene featuring drag queens, which critics claimed depicted a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” despite the art director saying otherwise, as a grave insult to Christian beliefs.

The Coptic Orthodox Church, led by Pope Tawadros II, condemned the portrayal, describing it as a “serious insult to one of Christianity’s fundamental religious beliefs.” The Church called for a formal apology from the organizers and assurances that such “blasphemous depictions” would not be repeated in the future.

In a similar vein, Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top Sunni Islamic institution, damned the scenes as a “barbaric, reckless manner” that disrespected the status of Jesus Christ and the prophets. 

The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, also condemned the performance, stating that it showed a “complete lack of respect for the beliefs of religious people.”

The Middle East Council of Churches and the Evangelical Community in Egypt also criticized the scenes, viewing them as mocking Christian beliefs. 

Was it really ‘the Last Supper’?

In response to the controversy, the Paris 2024 Olympics organizers apologized to anyone offended by the scenes, stating that there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group, but rather, that it was meant to “celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy”. 

“For the ‘Festivities’ segment, Thomas Jolly (the art director) took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting…Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief,” said Paris 2024 organizers.

Jolly, however, denied that Leonardo da Vinci’s painting was the inspiration, stating that the scene is an “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus”.

This explanation, which is contrary to statements by the Paris 2024 organizers, was echoed by the official X account of the Olympic Games.

“The idea was to depict a big pagan celebration, linked to the gods of Olympus, and thus the Olympics,” said Jolly – a statement that was also shared by the Olympic Games’ official page.