The extravagant opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, held along the River Seine, sparked controversy among some viewers, including the Vatican.

Pope Francis expressed his disappointment regarding certain scenes of the ceremony, particularly a tableau featuring drag queens and performers that, to some critics, resembled a mockery of Leonardo Da Vinci‘s iconic “The Last Supper” painting. The artwork depicts Jesus Christ’s last meal with his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.

Although Olympic organizers denied any intentional reference to the famous artwork, it drew criticism from conservative Christian celebrities.

The Vatican issued a rare weekend statement, condemning the offense caused to many Christians and believers of other religions. “The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and cannot but join the voices raised in recent days to deplore the offense done to many Christians and believers of other religions,” the statement read.

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Jason Kempin/Getty Images; Gary Gershoff/Getty Images As Paris Olympic athletes continue competing for medals, event organizers find themselves defending portions of the Opening Ceremony. While celebrating the kick-off to the summer games on Friday, July 26, some viewers were offended by a tableau that seemingly evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” According to organizers, […]

“In a prestigious event where the whole world comes together around common values, there should not be allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people,” the Vatican’s statement added. “Freedom of expression, which is obviously not called into question, finds its limit in respect for others.”

The Vatican’s statement comes more than a week after the opening ceremony, despite Olympic organizers and the event’s director denying any connection to the “Last Supper.”

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps shared in a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

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Artistic director Thomas Jolly explained that the tableau was a callback to the Olympics’ celebratory roots.

“There’s Dionysus arriving on a table. Why is he there? First and foremost because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology and the tableau is called ‘Festivity,’” Jolly explained to the French TV station BFM. “He is also the god of wine, which is also one of the jewels of France, and the father of Séquana, the goddess of the river Seine. The idea was to depict a big pagan celebration, linked to the gods of Olympus and thus the Olympics.”

“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality, and fraternity,” he added.