Paris 2024 Apologizes for Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 organizers apologized to Catholics and other Christian groups angered by a kitsch tableau in the Olympic Games opening ceremony that parodied Leonardo Da Vinci's famous 'The Last Supper' painting.

The segment, which resembled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a last meal before crucifixion and featured drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer made up as the Greek god of wine Dionysus, drew dismay from the Catholic Church and the religious right in America.

France, while proud of its rich Catholic heritage, also has a long tradition of secularism and anti-clericalism.

Blasphemy is not only legal, but also considered by many as an essential pillar of freedom of speech.

Supporters of the tableau praised its message of inclusivity and tolerance.

The Catholic church in France said it deplored a ceremony that "included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity."

Thomas Jolly, the artistic director and mastermind behind the flamboyant opening ceremony, said that religious subversion had never been his intention.

"Our intention was never to be impertinent, or to be subversive as I said earlier. Our idea was simply that with this great diversity we wanted to collectively include everyone. In France we have freedom of artistic creation. That's the first article in the law of freedom of creation, I take advantage of it, like with other freedoms we have in France, in this country, we're lucky about that. There was no desire to give a more specific message, it was simply a Republican message," Jolly said.

The opening ceremony attracted 28.6 million U.S. viewers, according to preliminary data , which the company said was the most-watched start to a Summer Games since London in 2012.