Why Paris Olympics opening ceremony's 'Last Supper' re-enactment has angered Christians: Claims of satanism, wokeness & more controversy

By Anirudh

Modified Jul 27, 2024 05:23 GMT

An opening ceremony filled with glitz and glamor officially got the 2024 edition of the Olympic Games officially underway in Paris. The event, however, was not without controversy.

While boats sailed down the River Seine with athletes in their official attire and flags being waved with full enthusiasm, fans were also treated to a lot of entertaining performances.

Lady Gaga delivered a cabaret-style performance of Mon Truc en Plume (My Thing With Feathers), with other music celebrities like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Rosalía, and Mick Jagger spotted in attendance. The event ended with Celine Dion closing out the night by singing L’Hymne à l’amour from the base of the Eiffel Tower.

It was not all roses and rainbows, however, as there were a few things that had fans divided. Performances on France's history and culture, like a headless Marie Antoinette singing with her severed head in her hands sporting drag-style makeup did not sit well with many fans.

The biggest bone of contention was the depiction of “The Last Supper” performed by drag queens.

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Paris Olympics opening ceremony's 'Last Supper' re-enactment: A recap

A volunteer spotted during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics - Getty Images

The Last Supper is the final meal that Jesus is said to have shared with his 12 apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. It is commonly associated with Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting.

Paris Olympics organizers, however, were accused of ridiculing Christianity with their decision to feature more than a dozen drag entertainers enacting the scene on a tableau. It had a woman at the center of a long table wearing a halo crown and holding her hands in a heart shape.

She was flanked on both sides by drag queens, as well as one child. The whole thing ended with a man representing Dionysius (a Greek God) being served on a silver platter.

I'm not religious, but the French depiction of the Last Supper is blatant disrespect and incitement. Jesus is portrayed as a woman and the disciples as transvestites. I wonder why they didn't mock Islam in a similar way. Actually, don’t answer as I know why. - One fan tweeted.

It sparked outrage among fans and celebrities. The depiction of the Greek God by a man painted in blue and covered with only a string of flowers and fruit and a woman representing Jesus did not sit well with a lot of people, who accused the organizers of mocking Christianity.

The organizers, however, defended themselves by saying that the performance was meant to raise awareness, in a humoristic way, of the absurdity of violence between human beings.

“The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” Paris Olympics said on X.

The Christian community, however, did not take well to that explanation and said that everything that happened was akin to Satanism and accused the organizers of trying to be woke.