French Bishops lament ‘scenes mocking Christianity’ at Olympic Ceremony

By Jean-Benoît Harel

It was a ceremony of superlatives. The first opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the Seine was marked by a parade of sports delegations on 85 boats, numerous artistic tableaux and performances by international artists, such as the Canadian Celine Dion and the American Lady Gaga.

“The opening ceremony,” acknowledged the French Bishops’ Conference, “offered the world the last wonderful moments of beauty, joy, emotional richness and universal acclamation,” but “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.”

At the forefront of the criticism was a re-enactment of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” by ten men in drag.

Solidarity with other religious denominations

After the globally broadcast ceremony, many leaders of other religious denominations expressed their solidarity with the French Catholic Church, the statement said.

“We think of all the Christians of the world who have been hurt by the excesses and provocations of certain scenes,” assured the French bishops. “We hope that they will understand that the Olympic celebration goes well beyond the ideological biases of a few artists,” continued the French bishops.

Exclusion of certain believers

The Secretary General of the CEF, Father Hugues de Woillemont, highlighted on the social network X the contradiction between “the displayed inclusiveness and the real exclusion of certain believers. It is not necessary to offend consciences to promote fraternity and sorority.”

Bishop François Touvet, president of the CEF Communication Council and coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, “strongly associated” himself with the statement of the Church of France. On social networks, he declared: “I protest, like many, against this scandalous and serious insult made to Christians around the world, without forgetting the other excesses of the program.”

In response to requests for explanations, Michaël Aloïsio, spokesperson for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games organizing committee, replied on Saturday July 27 on Franceinfo: “We maintain our decision to push the limits.”

At the end of the ceremony, the Olympic cauldron was lifted into the sky.

Unity and human fraternity

The CEF concluded its statement by recalling that sport “is a wonderful activity that deeply delights the hearts of athletes and spectators” and that Olympism is a “movement at the service of the reality of unity and human fraternity.”

The opening ceremony ended on a note of hope, unanimously appreciated by the spectators, with one of the highlights of the evening: Celine Dion concluding Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” from the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, letting the last words of the song resonate in the Parisian night: “God unites those who love each other”.

Deborah Castellano Lubov contributed to this article