MILWAUKEE – The leader of the Milwaukee Archdiocese is demanding an apology for a portion of the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki says he is outraged over what he believes was a mockery of “The Last Supper” shown during the start of the games. Listecki has sent a letter to TMJ4 News, Southeast Wisconsin’s NBC affiliate showing network coverage of the Olympics, demanding the station’s General Manager apologize to local Catholics and Christians.
“This shocking blasphemy against the central moment in Christianity…can not go without a proper response by the local television station that aired the scene and its network” said Listecki. “I also ask the faithful to join me in greater prayer and fasting in reparation for this sin, and renewal of our devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist”.
Listecki also wants the GM to contact the NBC network and demand an apology.
The artist behind the display, Thomas Jolly, has denied the scene, titled “Festivity”, was based on The Last Supper. The Magnin Museum in Dijon, France appeared to indicate in a post on X that the display was, in fact, based on a 17th-century Dutch painting “The Feast of the Gods” by Jan van Bijlert. The museum did acknowledge that similarities exist between both paintings.
Paris Olympics spokesperson Anne Deschamps said their intention was not to show disrespect to any religious group and apologized to those who took offense.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think that Thomas Jolly really tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said at a press conference. “We believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”
Those upset with the display say it depicted the well-known artwork by Leonardo da Vinci with a woman portraying Jesus Christ and drag queens filling the role of the twelve disciples. A man painted blue representing the Greek god of wine Dionysus was later revealed on a silver platter.
The display elicited an official response from U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who called the showcase “a mockery [that] was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world.” Mississippi tech company C Spire also pulled all of their advertising from Olympic programming over the display.
TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
- Biden unveils a proposal to establish term limits for the Supreme Court
- Legal expert to WTMJ: The SCOTUS proposal is ‘not an easy lift’
- Wisconsin Republicans ask voters to take away governor’s power to spend federal money
- Five teens injured after Sunday morning shooting in Milwaukee
- Investigation underway after Milwaukee Police squad car hits man killed by hit and run