Credit: STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images

By Tina Dennelly
In response to the July 26 Paris Olympics opening ceremony that mocked the Last Supper — and after the French bishops and other Catholic and world leaders decried the display — the Vatican on Saturday issued a statement denouncing the scene.

In a brief statement emailed to journalists in French, the Holy See said it “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.”

“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 statement continued.

In response to the July 26 Paris Olympics opening ceremony that mocked the Last Supper — and after the French bishops and other Catholic and world leaders decried the display — the Vatican on Saturday issued a statement denouncing the scene.

In a brief statement emailed to journalists in French, the Holy See said it “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.”

“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 statement continued.

In the letter — signed by three cardinals and 24 bishops — the prelates stated: “It is hard to understand how the faith of over 2 billion people can be so casually and intentionally blasphemed.”

The signatories, led by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke; Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, OFM; and Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, CM, also called for “a day of prayer and fasting in reparation for this blasphemy.”

This story was first published by Catholic News Agency, EWTN Norway’s news partner.