While there was loads to have fun on the 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Christians took challenge with one specific part of the extravaganza.

In one second of the hours-long parade, famed DJ Barbara Butch carried out alongside a big group of drag queens (together with Nicky Doll, the host of Drag Race France) and created a tableau by which all of them gave the impression to be seated behind a big, lengthy desk. Some viewers rapidly drew comparisons between the tableau and Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic portray The Last Supper, which then drew ire from conservative Christians who known as the efficiency disrespectful and even “blasphemous.”

One group who denounced the efficiency was the French Catholic Church’s convention of bishops, who described the second as “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity” and mentioned that “our thoughts are with all the Christians from all continents who were hurt by the outrage and provocation of certain scenes.”

As the criticism was occurring on-line, the official X account for the Olympic Games shared some additional images from the efficiency for context, displaying that the scene was meant to depict the feast of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry. “The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” the assertion learn.

In an interview with the Associated Press, the present’s inventive director Thomas Jolly defended the tableau, saying that he needed the efficiency to signify the “the right to love each other, as we want and with who we want.” “My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock. Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps answered a query throughout a Sunday press convention in regards to the backlash to the efficiency, saying that neither the International Olympic Committee (IOC) nor Jolly had any “intention to show disrespect to any religious group.” Instead, she added, “We really did try to celebrate community tolerance. Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry.”

See the Olympic Games’ tweet relating to the controversial efficiency under: