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Take Olympic scandal to Jesus in the Eucharist, Archbishop Fisher urges

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Paris Olympic Games - The Catholic weekly
Visitors are pictured in a file photo looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” on a refectory wall at Santa Maria delle Grazie Church in Milan. (OSV News photo/Stefano Rellandini, Reuters)

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has joined Catholic leaders worldwide in protest at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on 26 July, which featured a drag queen show widely interpreted as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper.” 

The archbishop said in a statement on 30 July that Christians should take their outrage to Jesus himself, and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. 

“The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics has left many people disappointed, angry and offended at the blasphemous parody of the Last Supper. It demonstrated contempt for Christ and disregard for the beliefs and sensitivities of Christians across the world,” Archbishop Fisher said. 

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“But we must be careful to not make this all about ourselves and our feelings. Blasphemy is not committed against us as Christians, but against GOD, the One who made and sustains us. It is God who is being mocked and that is what should grieve us most. 

“Don’t let outrage and disappointment simply be expressed in our conversations and social media. Rather, take these emotions and lay them before Jesus, present in the tabernacle.  

“Spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, pray the rosary, contemplate da Vinci’s magnificent painting of The Last Supper, and mediate on Chapter 6 of St John’s Gospel which we are reading for the next few Sundays.  

“Importantly, pray for those who have not yet come to know and love Christ.”  

Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay likewise commented on the blasphemous scene in a statement on 29 July, saying it was a “profound misstep.” 

Bishop Andrew H Cozzens of Crookston, Minn, chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., kneels in prayer before the monstrance during Eucharistic adoration at the opening revival night 17 July 2024, of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

“Political correctness and woke ideologies often purport to uphold respect, dignity, and inclusion for all people. Yet, this event starkly highlighted how superficial these values can be when genuine respect and understanding are lacking. 

“To call out such hypocrisy is crucial. We must be credible in our Christian faith, believe in what we read in the Gospel, teach it authentically, and practice what we preach.  

“Only then can we stand firm against such misrepresentations and advocate for genuine respect and inclusion, which are first and foremost Gospel values.” 

Catholic bishops and Christian leaders of other denominations around the globe have protested the opening ceremony display, for which organisers have apologised, saying it was not intended to insult Christians but rather depict a bacchanal of the Olympian Gods. 

Bishop Andrew H Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress, spoke out on 27 July against the depiction with a special call to prayer for the faithful based on his prayer at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress just one week prior. 

He recalled the powerful experience when tens of thousands gathered in adoration and prayers for healing 19 July in Lucas Oil Stadium.  

“We humbled ourselves in the presence of Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour,” he wrote.

“Recognising that if one member of the Body of Christ suffers, we all suffer, we prayed together for healing and forgiveness.” 

Only one week later, he continued, “where the newly restored Cathedral of Notre Dame stands as an iconic reminder to our belief in the importance of the Mass, which makes spiritually present to us the Last Supper, nearly 1 billion men, women and children, in person and through live telecast, witnessed the public mockery of the Mass, the ‘source and summit of the Christian life.'” 

The French bishops also issued a statement on 27 July condemning the mockery of Christianity at the opening of the Olympic Games. 

While the ceremony was a “marvellous display of beauty and joy, rich in emotion and universally acclaimed,” they said, it “unfortunately included scenes of mockery and derision of Christianity, which we deeply regret.” They thanked members of other religious denominations “who have expressed their solidarity with us.” 

Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard of Digne, the special representative of the Holy See for the 2024 Paris Olympics, said that he was “deeply hurt” by the depiction. Many US bishops took to social media to speak out against the scene and ask the faithful to pray for healing and reparation. 

With Lauretta Brown from OSV News. 

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