PARIS, FRANCE -- Paris Olympics organizers apologized Sunday to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci鈥檚 鈥淭he Last Supper鈥� during the glamorous opening ceremony.
Da Vinci's painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him. The scene during Friday's ceremony featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch 鈥� an LGBTQ2S+ icon 鈥� flanked by drag artists and dancers.
Religious conservatives from around the world decried the segment, with the French Catholic Church鈥檚 conference of bishops deploring 鈥渟cenes of derision鈥� that they said made a mockery of Christianity 鈥� a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. The Anglican Communion in Egypt expressed its 鈥渄eep regret鈥� Sunday, saying the ceremony could cause the IOC to 鈥渓ose its distinctive sporting identity and its humanitarian message.鈥�
The ceremony鈥檚 artistic director Thomas Jolly had said it was meant to celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy. Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps was asked about the outcry during an International Olympic Committee news conference on Sunday.
鈥淐learly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think (with) Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance,鈥� Descamps said. 鈥淟ooking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry.鈥�
Jolly explained his intentions to The Associated Press after the ceremony.
鈥淢y wish isn鈥檛 to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,鈥� Jolly said. 鈥淢ost of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.鈥�
Associated Press journalist Samy Magdy contributed reporting from Cairo.
