Paris Olympics opening ceremony sparks outrage, IOC apologizes

An element of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics and the colourful artistic performance on the Seine has sparked waves of comments. The organizers were accused of offending religious sentiments. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) broke the silence and apologized.

On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee addressed the controversial and emotional segment of the show that inaugurated the Olympic sports competition. Representatives of the organization assured that they did not intend to show disrespect to any religious group.

The discussion around this event has been ongoing since Friday night. Many viewers, watching the opening ceremony live or on screens at home, may not have associated the scene with Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper".

However, the reference was noticed by bishops in France. They reacted immediately, even though they rarely speak on social issues. The Episcopal Conference appealed to all viewers and participants to remember that "the Olympic celebration is above the ideological message of some artists".

Then a scandal erupted. Many comments were made online. Catholics were particularly outraged. Politicians, athletes, and activists have been speaking on the matter.

Priests condemned this attack on Christian values during many masses. Believers saw "a gender parody of the Last Supper" in the criticized scene.

The International Olympic Committee decided to respond to these angry comments. Adam Parsons, the "Sky News" correspondent in Europe, conveyed a statement. He wrote that the IOC apologized and explained that its goal was to show tolerance and community.

"The IOC on complaints regarding the mention of 'The Last Supper' during the opening ceremony: 'Without a doubt, we never intended to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, we wanted to show tolerance and community. If anyone felt offended, we apologize,'" the correspondent quoted the IOC statement.