The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued on Sunday a formal apology following complaints about a segment in the opening ceremony that featured a parody of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
The scene, which included drag queens reinterpreting Jesus Christ’s final meal with his disciples, has been deemed deeply offensive by the Catholic Church.
In a statement, the IOC emphasized that there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group.
"Clearly there was never intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, we intended to show tolerance and community. If people have taken any offense then we are sorry,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps told a press conference.
"And looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was, was achieved," she added, referring to polls saying 86 percent of the French population thought the opening ceremony was a success.
The Catholic Church of France expressed its disapproval.
In a statement on X, it said: "Unfortunately, this ceremony contained scenes that mocked Christianity, which we deeply regret."
The controversy has led US-based technology company C Spire to pull its advertisements from the Olympics.
In a statement on X, C Spire said: "We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be pulling our advertising from the Olympics."
Critics argue that the performance promoted LGBT propaganda and insulted religious sensibilities.
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