Vatican condemns Paris Olympics opening ceremony for controversial 'Last Supper' parody

The Vatican has expressed its disapproval of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, joining a wave of conservative backlash. 

In a statement released over a week after the event, the Holy See criticized a segment interpreted by some as drag queens mocking Christianity in a parody of “The Last Supper.”

"The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes in the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offense caused to many Christians and believers of other religions,” the Vatican stated, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

“In a prestigious event where the whole world gathers around common values, there should be no allusions that ridicule the religious convictions of many people."

The ceremony's artistic director has since clarified that the scene was meant as a nod to Dionysus, the Greek god of decadence and celebration. 

Despite this, the backlash continued, with conservative figures like Harrison Butker, Donald Trump Jr., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) expressing their discontent.