Evangelicals in France have taken their concerns in regards to the Paris Olympics Opening ceremony to the French government.
Organisers were accused of mocking Christianity over a scene with drag queens and a haloed lesbian DJ that many Christians interpreted as a representation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.
In response to the backlash, Paris Olympics spokeswoman Anne Descamps said, “If people have taken any offence we’re, in fact, really, really sorry,” while artistic director Thomas Jolly said he had wanted “to do an enormous pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus”.
“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone,” he said.
“I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but additionally a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.”
Even the apology caused anger amongst Christians, though, as some felt it was insincere.
CNEF was among the many critics of Friday’s ceremony. It questioned why Christianity had apparently been targeted if the goals were fraternity and inclusion. It said the scene had caused “distress” and “deep hurt” to many Christians., even though it said it accepted the organisers’ apology.
CNEF president Erwan Cloarec raised concerns in regards to the controversial tableau during a gathering this week with the office of the Minister of the Interior.
He asked that the French government “guarantee that everybody, believers or not, will likely be respected of their essential convictions inside a Republic that desires to unite”.
CNEF is encouraging Christians to make use of the controversy as a possibility to witness to the Christian faith and interact with culture.
“For months … we now have dreamed that these games could be a possibility for Christians to share in words and deeds the Gospel that animates them,” said Cloarec.
“Let us see within the situation that arises an actual opportunity to bear witness to our faith because the person of Christ has just been placed on the centre of those games.
“Let us hear the cries of the center and the necessity for reconciliation of our contemporaries, their quest for identity and belonging.
“They cry out in a pluralistic society; allow us to show them how one can cry out louder to the one who invites all of them to his table and offers true reconciliation, true identity and belonging.
“During these Games and beyond, allow us to share with all peoples the Good News that we now have received.”
