News
By Michael Hernandez, 7-28-24
SIMI VALLEY, CA—Sharon Covington, of Ventura County, has launched an email campaign to the organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremonies. She writes: “The Opening Ceremony presentation was offensive and dismissive of core values of a large swatch of people. Over the years, the ceremony has been tasteful and honoring of excellence. An apology is in order. Sacrilegious themed presentations should not be tolerated.”
The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremonies had performers who were starting a threesome while others seemed to mock Leonard da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with a parade of drag queens that featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch—an LGBTQ+ icon—flanked by drag artists and dancers.
(Editor’s Note: One online news platform, Red State, has posted three articles on the Opening Ceremonies written by Bonchi and Bob Hogue over the last three days: https://redstate.com/bonchie/2024/07/26/watch-wokeness-overtakes-the-olympics-leaves-people-asking-what-the-heck-is-going-on-n2177418
C-Spire, a Mississippi-based phone service company, posted a statement on Facebook Saturday announcing its intent to withdraw its advertising from the XXXIII Olympiad: “We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C-Spire will be pulling its advertising form the Olympics.”
In the Breitbart story written by Dylan Gwinn, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R-MS) celebrated the telecommunications company’s decision: “I am proud to see the private sector in Mississippi step up and put their foot down. God will not be mocked. C-Spire drew a common-sense appropriate line.”
French politician Marion Marechal stated the blasphemous display did not speak for France but was the product of a ‘left-wing minority.’ “To all the Christians of the world who are watching the Paris 2024 ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France that is speaking, but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation,” she posted on X.
Meanwhile, Thomas Jolly (artistic director of the Opening Ceremony) stated: “Our idea was inclusion. Our subject was not to be subversive. We never wanted to be subversive. We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that.”
U.S. Bishop Robert Barron (since 2022) of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota was quoted in a Gateway Pundit article written by Margaret Flavin: “They’re telling us who they are. We should believe them,” said Bishop Barron who spent three years as a doctoral student in Paris France—’a city I love.’
“France felt, the right thing to do is to mock this very central moment in Christianity where Jesus, at His Last Supper, gives His body and blood in anticipation of the cross. France, whose culture is grounded very much in Christianity, felt the right thing to do was to mock the Christian faith. Would they have dared mock Islam in a similar way? Would they ever have dreamed of mocking in this gross, you know, public way, a scene from the Quran? We Christians, we Catholics, should not be sheepish. We should resist. We should make our voices heard.”
Meanwhile, according to a Fox News article posted by Ryan Gaydos stated what Paris 2024 Spokesperson Anne Descampos said: “Clearly there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”
Inter-LGBT President James Leperlier of France said: “France tried to show what it should be and not what it is.”
Covington, the Ventura County resident and social worker by trade, an executive at a residential treatment center, said: “As a Christian, I found (the Opening Ceremonies) offensive by mocking Jesus. The (Olympic) Committee has said they don’t want politics and then they allow this. I am shocked and appalled.”
Those wishing to participate in the email campaign can do so by emailing the Association of Summer Olympic International Federation: [email protected] or mailto:[email protected] or by writing the Organising Committee of Olympic Games 2024 at: 46 rue Proudhon, 93210 Saint-Denis / France.
My wife and I watched the Opening Ceremonies and were disgusted with what we saw. The only inspiration was Celine Dion’s moving song at the Eiffel Tower Paris Opening Ceremony finale. She had not performed for years since being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Michael Hernandez, from California is co-founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted at [email protected] and is editor of two weekly columns: “Stories Speak Volumes” and “Nov. 5 Election Day Countdown,” and writer of “Revive America.”
