ROME (AP) 鈥 The Vatican said Saturday it 鈥渄eplored the offense鈥 caused to Christians by the Olympic Games opening ceremony, a scene of which evoked Leonardo da Vinci鈥檚 鈥淭he Last Supper鈥 and featured drag queens.
A week after a storm of criticism erupted around the event, the Holy See issued a statement in French that it was 鈥渟addened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony鈥 and joined those who had been offended.
鈥淎t a prestigious event where the whole world comes together to share common values, there should be no ridiculous allusions to religion,鈥 it said.
To critics, the evoked Jesus and his apostles in Da Vinci's famous painting. It featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch 鈥 an LGBTQ+ icon 鈥 wearing a silver headdress that looked like a halo while flanked by drag artists and dancers. France鈥檚 Catholic bishops said it made a mockery of Christianity.
The ceremony鈥檚 artistic director has repeatedly denied he had been inspired by the 鈥淟ast Supper,鈥 saying the scene was meant to celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy. organizers apologized to anyone who was offended by the tableau.
The Vatican spokesman didn't immediately respond when asked why the Holy See was only responding now, a week after the event and after Catholic leaders around the world had expressed outrage at the scene.
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