VATICAN CITY: The Vatican said on Saturday it had been saddened by a skit at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony appearing to parody Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” painting.
“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and cannot but join the voices raised in recent days to deplore the offense done to many Christians and believers of other religions,” it said in an unusual weekend evening press release issued in French.
The segment in the July 26 ceremony resembled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a last meal before crucifixion, but featured drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer as the Greek god of wine Dionysus.
Paris 2024 organizers apologized two days later, saying there was never an intention to disrespect any religious group.
The artistic director behind the scene said it had not been inspired by the Christian last supper, but rather a pagan feast linked to the historical Olympics.
“In a prestigious event where the whole world comes together around common values, there should not be allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people,” the Vatican added.
“Freedom of expression, which is obviously not called into question, finds its limit in respect for others.”
The Vatican did not say why it was issuing its statement more than a week after the opening ceremony.
Pope Francis had a phone call on Aug. 1 with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, at which Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed the Paris event.
Although the Vatican later confirmed to Reuters that the call took place, it would not comment on what the leaders discussed.
Vatican saddened by Olympic ceremony skit resembling ‘Last Supper’
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Vatican saddened by Olympic ceremony skit resembling ‘Last Supper’
- “The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games,” it said in an unusual weekend evening press release issued in French
- Paris 2024 organizers apologized two days later, saying there was never an intention to disrespect any religious group
Bangladesh’s religio-political party open to unity govt
- Opinion polls suggest that Jamaat-e-Islami will finish a close second to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the first election it has contested in nearly 17 years
DHAKA: A once-banned Bangladeshi religio-political party, poised for its strongest electoral showing in February’s parliamentary vote, is open to joining a unity government and has held talks with several parties, its chief said.
Opinion polls suggest that Jamaat-e-Islami will finish a close second to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the first election it has contested in nearly 17 years as it marks a return to mainstream politics in the predominantly Muslim nation of 175 million.
Jamaat last held power between 2001 and 2006 as a junior coalition partner with the BNP and is open to working with it again.
“We want to see a stable nation for at least five years. If the parties come together, we’ll run the government together,” Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman said in an interview at his office in a residential area in Dhaka, days after the party created a buzz by securing a tie-up with a Gen-Z party.
Rahman said anti-corruption must be a shared agenda for any unity government.
The prime minister will come from the party winning the most seats in the Feb. 12 election, he added. If Jamaat wins the most seats, the party will decide whether he himself would be a candidate, Rahman said.
The party’s resurgence follows the ousting of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a youth-led uprising in August 2024.
Rahman said Hasina’s continued stay in India after fleeing Dhaka was a concern, as ties between the two countries have hit their lowest point in decades since her downfall.
Asked about Jamaat’s historical closeness to Pakistan, Rahman said: “We maintain relations in a balanced way with all.”
He said any government that includes Jamaat would “not feel comfortable” with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed with the Awami League’s backing in 2023.
