Biden says the US will have to work hard to top Paris in 2028

Bishop Robert Barron: Paris Olympics opening ceremony a ‘clear mockery’ of Last Supper

First lady Jill Biden had high praise for the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics this weekend, despite widespread criticism that the performance mocked the Last Supper.

Biden led the U.S. delegation to the Olympics and called the opening ceremony “spectacular.” Despite the festivity, heavy rain drenched the athletes from all nations as they paraded down the river Seine on boats.

Biden remarked that the U.S. would have to work hard to top Paris’ opening ceremony when the games are held in Los Angeles in 2028.

“So, last night, it was just spectacular,” Biden said in a statement. “The rain did not dampen our spirits… Every step of the way, I was thinking to myself, oh my god, oh my god. How are we going to top this?”

First lady Jill Biden had high praise for the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics this weekend, despite widespread criticism that the performance mocked the Last Supper. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

“So, ok. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, but we have Hollywood and the magic of Hollywood that makes all dreams come true. I think we’re going to be OK… It’s a city where new generations of dreamers shape our culture,” she added.

“At the end of the 2028 Games, Olympians and fans will see themselves reflected in Los Angeles,” Biden said.

The Arc de Triomphe during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris. (Lionel Bonaventure/Pool Photo via AP)

Several U.S. and world lawmakers denounced the Paris ceremony after drag queens and artists made a spectacle of the Leonardo Da Vinci painting, the Last Supper, which depicts the last meal Jesus had with his apostles.

“Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a post on X. “The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail.”

Several U.S. and world lawmakers denounced the Paris ceremony after drag queens and artists made a spectacle of the Leonardo Da Vinci painting, the Last Supper, which depicts the last meal Jesus had with his apostles. (Christian Liewig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

He then referred to the Bible verse John 1:15, which reads, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini posted a picture of the drag queens over another picture of the Last Supper, criticizing the act.

“Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians around the world was a really bad start, dear French,” he wrote. “Seedy.”