Paris Olympics organizers apologize for opening ceremony

The spokesman for the 2024 Paris Olympics has apologized to the audience after criticism of the opening ceremony for having a performance that "offended religion".

According to AP, At a press conference on July 28, Olympic spokeswoman Anne Descamps said the organizers did not mean to disrespect any religious community. However, they apologized to those who felt hurt by the performance that evoked the painting. The Last Supper (The Last Supper) by Leonardo da Vinci.

Mr. Thomas Jolly - artistic director of the opening ceremony - denied that the performance was inspired by the painting. The Last Supper. According to the organizers, the performances convey a message of freedom, tolerance, cultural diversity and acceptance of all differences.

The organizers did not mention the opening ceremony video. disappear from the Olympics YouTube channel, and did not announce when the video would be restored to the channel. Over the past two days, many viewers around the world have strongly criticized the opening ceremony, claiming that a part of the program was blasphemous.

On July 27, the Bishops' Conference of the French Catholic Church published a statement, calling the opening ceremony "beautiful, joyful, and full of emotion" but expressing regret that the performance was associated with mocking Christianity. The Bishops' Conference sent words of encouragement to those hurt by "some provocative scenes."

However, some viewers believe that the green character, played by French artist Philippe Katherine, was inspired by Greek mythology and that the performance was intended to celebrate French festivals and wine. Leonardo da Vinci's painting of 13 people depicts Jesus' last meal with his apostles before his crucifixion. The Olympic performance featured about 20 dancers, including transgender people, to portray a festive atmosphere.

The Anglican Communion in Egypt also said it was disappointed with the performance, commenting that the opening ceremony could cause the Olympics to lose its sporting identity and humanistic message. Previously, billionaire Elon Musk wrote on X about this performance: "Extremely disrespectful to Christians".

Some scenes from the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony are still available on the Internet. Video: CCTV

In addition to the controversy over the "parody of the painting" performance The Last Supper"", The opening ceremony was criticized by many viewers as crossing the line of morality. It included a scene where three dancers dressed in colorful costumes kissed and hugged each other, after which one dancer made a door-closing gesture.

The three-hour ceremony with 10 chapters, the organizers brought many cultural and artistic features of the host country interwoven with the parade and torch lighting rituals. In the third chapter, titled Free , artists reenact the play The miserable, adapted from the novel by Victor Hugo. One of the highlights of the ceremony was the performance of famous singer Celine Dion. Many viewers said emotion when she returned after two years of treatment for "stiff person" syndrome.

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