Middle East Council of Churches condemns mockery of Christianity at Olympic Games

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) condemned the mockery of Jesus Christ during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris.

During the ceremony on Friday, a live artistic tableau resembling Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" was presented, featuring a large table around which men dressed in women's clothing and exaggerated makeup were seated, alongside a transgender model.

"With a lot of love mixed with astonishment and disapproval, we saw what happened during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in France, the mockery of the mystery of the mysteries in Christianity, and what is sacred to billions of people around the world," said the MECC said in a statement.

It said the mockery "indicates complete ignorance of the concepts of freedom and human dignity, and this is a very worrying matter for the future of humanity."

"Freedom, diversity, and creativity are not compatible with insulting the beliefs of others, nor with mocking them, in ways that have nothing to do with human quality.

"Christianity was the first to preserve freedoms, protect diversity, and preserve human dignity and rights. Therefore, we do not accept subjecting it to insult from some groups, knowing that every human being is in the image and likeness of God and is called to salvation."

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) in Jerusalem reiterated its support for the statement issued by MECC about the mockery of Christianity during the opening of the Olympic Games.

Early Sunday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a formal apology following the controversy caused by the parody.

"Clearly there was never intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, we intended to show tolerance and community. If people have taken any offence then we are sorry," spokesperson Anne Descamps told a press conference on Sunday.

The Paris Olympics will continue until August 11, featuring an unprecedented opening ceremony outside the stadium, specifically on the banks of the Seine River in northern France.