Outrageous Olympics Opening Ceremony

I almost turned a blind eye on the “Festivity” performance which was part of the Opening Ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic Games. It is one more thing the world makes a big deal about that I have very little interest in. Friends on social media explained the controversy away. It was just a portrayal of a Greek festival to honor the Olympic gods, and there was no reason to take offense. It was not representative of The Last Supper. Alright, fair enough. It sounded like a reasonable explanation. I looked away.

Then someone asked me to comment on the performance and the controversy surrounding it. I hadn’t even watched it yet. Shortly thereafter, I read snarky comments calling those who believed it was a portrayal of The Last Supper uneducated. It may be vain, but I refuse to be known as uneducated because of my faith. I decided to research the topic extensively to understand and to form an “educated” opinion. By this time, I had watched the performance, and my eyes saw everything they needed to see which was enough proof. Even my 12-year-old daughter who knew nothing of the controversy recognized the atrocity and begged to turn it off within 30 seconds. I share this with you, my friends, so that you may not turn a blind eye to what is clearly the Evil One at work on the world stage. I also hope that my research will help you to become better able to defend our Catholic faith against the Evil One who clearly wishes to destroy it.

First of all, despite the claims that the performance was a portrayal of the bacchanal feast to honor the Olympic gods, several of the performers themselves, namely the French drag queen Piche, admitted to the press and on social media that the intention was to create a tableau of The Last Supper. Another performer used the excuse that artists have been portraying parodies of The Last Supper for centuries and therefore, it is the norm and acceptable. Yet another posted on Instagram, a performance picture next to an image of Da Vinci’s original painting with the comment, “Oh Yes! Oh Yes! The new gay testament!” That post has since been removed.

Next, a French news outlet, Le Soire, used the title “La Cène Sur Un Scène Sur La Seine” which translates to “A Scene from The Last Supper on the Seine”. Where did they get that title? Was it a play on words? Or a direct reference? A leak from the inside? Pre-production dubbing it such? You can decide for yourself, but there are no coincidences.

An argument was made that the performance showed 17+ performers at the feast while the original painting included 13 persons (Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles). Therefore, the conclusion was that the performance was not representative of The Last Supper. Yet at the very beginning of the performance, the positions of those on camera were very similarly posed as those in da Vinci’s famous painting.

In addition, other reports claim that the performance was based on a different painting, The Feast of the Gods, by Jan van Bijlert, which ironically enough was the source of contention in the 17^th century because it was a parody of … The Last Supper. The political statement behind the Biljert piece was commentary on his distaste for Christians and their ideology. From an art history point of view, this was Biljert’s social commentary against the “The Last Supper” and Christianity as a whole.

I’d like to make a moral point here. Let’s assume for just a second that there was no mockery intended and that the performance was what it said, the god, Dionysus, having a bacchanal feast. The Bacchanal Feast was of Roman origin and a festival of Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of wine, freedom, intoxication, and ecstasy. The freedom mentioned is sexual freedom, which was lovingly displayed in this performance by drag queens. What on earth does any of this have to do with the spirit of the Olympics which should be depicted by world-class athleticism, sacrifice, and inspiration? Would it behoove the producers of this event to focus on virtues associated with the Olympics instead of the outright hypersexual agenda that was in our faces?

The Evil One was clearly on that stage that night and has gotten into the hearts and minds of the secular world so much that they have lost all decorum of taste and values. Instead of promoting virtuous behavior that we should all aspire toward, the organizers of this event promoted promiscuity, blatant sexuality, and outright blasphemy. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal 6:7)

This performance made a mockery of Christianity while appealing to the “woke” generation through “inclusivity” and “acceptance” at the cost of exclusively denying everyone else. It is duplicitous and corrupt and needs to be called out. How do you do that without becoming hateful or sinful yourself?

Pick up your cross and suffer for Jesus. We should not be silent about what we witness any longer. Make a statement whenever and however you can. God has granted us all different talents. Whether it means pushing back against a friend or family member who thinks this was one of the greatest “art performance” ever or writing to Olympic officials or ambassadors (see below for contact information). Say something. Don’t allow it to continue.
Ask “what would Jesus do?” Our responses should be controlled and loving. Jesus suffered the ultimate humiliations and torture for our sins. Gently respond with love. No matter what awful evils are spewed, always pray for those who blaspheme. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Give this in prayer immediately whenever you hear or witness someone speak against God or our Catholic faith.
Make use of the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist. Don’t delay. The more we practice our faith with reverence and devotion, the closer we grow to God and all the wonderful plans He has for us. In addition, we receive some extra graces when we do so on a regular basis!
Finally, Pray. Pray for the world, the sinners, the conversion of souls. Pray a Rosary daily at the very least. Our Blessed Mother will come to our aid and protect us from the evils of this world. In addition, prayers to St. Michael the Archangel (the long form is very powerful), the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and any devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus are particularly meaningful.

The world may seem very dim at times, but there is always hope. Be the hope for those around you, and when appropriate, speak out lovingly and with conviction. 🙏🏼❤️✝️

If you wish to make a statement or issue a complaint, here is some contact information. All information is public.

Call IOC (International Olympics Committee) : +41 216216111

Demand apology from Thomas Bach, president of IOC.

Email: https://olympics.com/ioc/contact-us

Denise Bauer email: [email protected]

NBC: https://help.nbc.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

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