The Olympics 2024 opening ceremony took place on the evening of July 26. Somehow it took the Vatican over a week to respond to what should have been seen as a glaring affront to one of the most sacred and foundational moments of the faith it is purportedly entrusted to protect.
The Vatican was “saddened” and sought to “join” others “to deplore the offense caused to many Christians and believers of other religions.”
Saddened by what exactly? “Certain scenes.” Which scenes? No mention. “Join” others? Why would the Vatican not have been the first voice raised?
But, of course, this was all an innocent misunderstanding. Absolutely no mockery of Christian or other faiths intended.
The Archdiocese of Malta made sure to set the record straight:
“However, the tableau was not, in fact, inspired by the Last Supper. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the ceremony, clarified that the scene was based on “Feast of the Gods,” a 1635 painting by Dutch artist Jan van Bijlert. The tableau was intended to celebrate French culture, inclusivity, and the mythological connections to the Olympic Games.”
Oh, thank God.
Anyone who does not believe the artistic director himself, the organizers, and all involved did not see the clear similarity to Leonardo da Vinci’s ”The Last Supper” in not just their own (regrettable) interpretation of van Bijlert’s work but in the original work itself is missing more than a few synapses. And, of course, “Feast of the Gods” would not be the first nor last work to draw inspiration from da Vinci’s famed piece.
Of course, it made for a solid and fast excuse in case the backlash was extreme. And it was. They knew it would be.
The organizers of the opening ceremony have apologized, but that is irrelevant. They said what they had to say in front of the world. Mission accomplished.
It was interesting to note that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops did not see fit to include the tidbit about “Feast of the Gods.” However, it did allude that the Vatican and the Pope may not have responded at all, save for an outside push to do so. By whom? Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Muslim leader of a Muslim-majority nation, who reportedly two days prior to the eventual statement from the Holy See, “told the Pope that the ‘immoral’ Olympics opening ceremony had made a mockery of sacred values and called for a common stand to be taken against it.”
What I find so funny, or just sad, is that nobody thought to rally purely against what was a grotesque and obscene display. Even if we use van Bijlert’s painting for a comparison, I fail to see the need to distort the gods up on Olympus, who were meant to present ideals of form and beauty, in such a way. And to do so at the Olympics, where athletes have spent their lives preparing to be tested against the finest from around the world, their bodies fit, disciplined, and toned. One could even say Jolly was mocking the Olympics themselves and those participating in it.
But forget the Olympics, forget Olympus, forget the Last Supper. What about simply questioning why anybody would want to have to look at what was set forth? In the name of “artistry.” Oh, please. “Inclusivity”? Is there a new trend of “obese blue people acceptance” going around? I must have missed that. I also keep hoping that the one photo where someone’s testicle is hanging out was just Photoshopped. Utterly disgusting, religion and da Vinci aside.
But, back to the Vatican.
It is perhaps most telling that the Pope saw fit to conclude his statement with not a calling together of the faithful, an inspiring message to continue upholding Christian values, not a promise to help them in their quest to fight back against the smearing and ridiculing of their faith or just common decency, but instead a sort of political message or even legal disclosure, akin to what you may find at the end of a document:
“Freedom of expression should find its limits in respect for others.”
Incredible.
“At a prestigious event where the whole world comes together to share common values, there should be no allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people,” the Holy See declared.
Allusions would have to be indirect references, Pope Francis. There was nothing indirect about this.
Catholics, Christians, all peoples of faith, and mere decent human beings deserve better from the leader of a church that purports to care about the divine.
In the meantime, individual Christian athletes at the Olympics have stood up for their faith. Vocal and visible, they somehow found no need to apologize for or hedge their beliefs.
