Catholic bishops and cardinals demand official apology for Olympics opening ceremony

At least two dozen Catholic bishops and three Cardinals as of Friday have signed an open letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), demanding an apology for appearing to mock the Last Supper during its opening ceremony last week.

France's opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics has been hit with heavy backlash from the Christian community after one of its segments displayed drag queens gathered for a feast that looked like Leonardo Da Vinci's famous "Last Supper" painting. But the event's director claimed the drag queens were gathered for a Pagan feast instead.

The letter asked the committee to "repudiate" and "apologize" for the display. It has been signed by Catholic leaders from around the world, though the majority of the signatories come from the United States. 

“With shock, the world watched as the Summer Olympics in Paris opened with a grotesque and blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper," the letter stated, per the Catholic News Agency. “It is hard to understand how the faith of over 2 billion people can be so casually and intentionally blasphemed."

The signers also committed to a day of "prayer and fasting in reparation for this blasphemy.”

An Olympic committee spokesperson told Reuters after the ceremony that the segment was not intended to be disrespectful and said it was "really sorry" if any group had taken offense. But Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, said the response was patronizing.

”A real apology would be something like: This was a mistake. It should never have been done, and we’re sorry for it,” Barron said in a post on X. “I don’t think Christians should be mollified; I think we should keep raising our voices.”

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.