Turkish president slams Olympic parody of The Last Supper
President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressed outrage over what he perceived to be a "parody of The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. According to aa.com.tr, Erdogan plans to contact Pope Francis regarding the matter.
9:41 AM EDT, July 31, 2024
The alleged parody has garnered significant attention from global media. Erdogan reportedly described it as an "immorality committed against the Christian world" and announced plans to discuss the issue with the Vatican.
The scene in Paris offended not only the Catholic world and the broader Christian community but also us to the same extent. The immorality displayed during the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris highlights the scale of the threat we face, said the President of Turkey during a speech in Ankara.
The portrayal of "The Last Supper" during the inauguration of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris was met with criticism. Artists dressed in extravagant costumes participated in the act, and social media posts have suggested it was blasphemous.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced an intervention with the Pope regarding the parody of "The Last Supper"
Pope Francis has not publicly commented on the controversy. However, representatives of the Church have not been entirely silent. Archbishop of Malta Charles Scicluna called it an insult to Christians in a letter to the French ambassador to Malta, Agnès von der Mühll.
Catholic Bishop Robert Barron described the situation as a "gross mockery of The Last Supper" and questioned, "Would they ever dare to mock Islam in a similar way?"
