Paris apology after Olympics opening ceremony religious scene causes outcry
Jul 29, 2024
Paris [France], July 29: Paris 2024 organizer Anne Descamps has apologized for any offence caused by religious depictions during the Olympics opening ceremony.
Friday's showpiece has drawn criticism for a banquet scene where an actor playing Greek god Dionysus took centre stage on a table with drag queens, which has been interpreted to resemble Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper painting.
Some religious groups condemned the ceremony, including the Catholic Church in France who said it included "scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity." At a press conference on Sunday, Descamps insisted that the ceremony intended to "celebrate community tolerance." "Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group," she said. "On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved, if people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry." (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
