Well, if you thought the Olympics were just about sports, think again. The 2024 Paris Olympics decided to up the ante with an opening ceremony that’s sparked quite the uproar – and no, it’s not about the athletes this time. It’s about a ‘performance’ that some are calling a blasphemous parody of da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper.’
Religious Outrage
Leading the charge of displeased critics is Cardinal Raymond Burke of the Roman Catholic Church. For those unfamiliar with this holy firebrand, he’s got no problem calling out what he sees as moral failings – and this time, he’s got the Paris Olympics in his sights.
The Offending Performance
The buzz – or should we say furor? – started with a group of drag queens and flamboyant performers who staged what many believe to be a knock-off of ‘The Last Supper.’ Sitting along one side of a long table, with one performer flaunting a halo crown at the center, the performance not only attracted gazes but also riled up some serious religious backlash.
For added spice, French choreographer Thomas Jolly, who directed the scene, denied any intentions of mocking Christianity. According to him, this was just a ‘big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus.’ Well, nice try, Jolly, but not everyone is buying that line. Art and religious experts sure aren’t convinced.
CatholicVote added fuel to the fire by reporting that Cardinal Burke didn’t reserve his comments just for news platforms. He brought up the opening ceremony during a Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Talk about using your platform.
A Dark Revelation
“On this past Friday, we witnessed an unbelievable manifestation of the darkness and sin in our world: the abominable mockery of the Holy Eucharist at its Institution for the opening of the Summer Olympics in Paris,” Cardinal Burke thundered. “It is difficult to imagine anything more debased and blasphemous.”
For added dramatic effect, he wasn’t done there. He pushed even further, calling the event part of the ‘theater of Satan,’ accusing those behind it of cooperating with the devil’s nefarious plans. ‘A murderer from the beginning,’ ‘a liar and the father of lies,’ he fumed – clearly, this wasn’t gonna end with a polite summoning to tea.
Long-Standing Conflicts
If you think this indignation is just confined to a single event, think again. Burke argued that the ceremony is just one of many signs of an ongoing war on morality.
