A bishop who made headlines for his mocking of the Last Supper at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics has warned of a “season of attacks on Christianity” after the controversial event sparked a worldwide backlash.
Bishop Robert Barron, head of the Winona-Rochester Diocese of Minnesota and an influential Catholic figure, appeared on Fox News Live to share his initial reaction to the “apparent mockery” and the thinking behind the controversial Summer Olympics opening ceremony skit.
Three drag queen torchbearers appear along the Paris Olympic torch relay route
“This is clearly a mockery of the Last Supper, which for Christians is the moment when Jesus prepares to die and offers his body and blood to the world. It’s at the heart of Christianity. When Christians see drag queens having fun imitating Da Vinci’s Last Supper, it’s hard not to see it as an insult,” Baron said Saturday.
“I’m puzzled by the fact that some reports are making a big deal about inclusivity,” he continued. “Everyone is supposed to be included – Christians, non-believers – and they can be mocked, marginalized and made fun of as much as they like. We saw the same thing happen last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers controversy and I can barely stand it. A great symbol of inclusivity is ignoring Christians.”
Baron I posted a video On Friday, French citizens lamented the shocking rendition of drag queens dressed as Jesus and his apostles at the Last Supper at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in the French capital.
“This is nothing but a vicious mockery of the Last Supper,” Baron told X’s more than 285,000 followers on Friday.
During his appearance on Fox News, Baron continued to insist that “the season for attacking Christians is upon us.”
“It’s completely clear,” Baron responded when asked the reason behind the mockery. “We have a very secular, very materialistic postmodern culture, and they know who their enemy is. The Christian church is the institutional arch enemy of this worldview. This is a philosophical and cultural struggle, and they know who the enemy is, so they will mock them whenever they get the chance.”
“I don’t think we should just quietly submit,” he continued. “If you go back to God himself, turn the other cheek, or anything like that, it’s not an invitation to quietly submit or be silent. It’s a way of confronting evil when we see it, and of course doing it nonviolently, but it’s a way of confronting and standing up against what we see as evil.”
Supreme Court rejects DeSantis in drag queen ban legal battle
The controversial Olympic display featured a host of performers, including drag queens and a large woman wearing a halo crown, who performed a parody of “The Last Supper,” a world-famous painting by Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci depicting Christ and his apostles on Passover night before his passion and death.
The image sparked outrage among Christians and conservatives online. Being a Baronexpressed dismay that a country with a Catholic tradition would ridicule such an important event recorded in the Gospels.
However, the creators of the controversial scene insisted that the “mockery” was not intended to offend Christians, but to honour Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
Anne Decquin, a spokeswoman for Paris 2024, said of the weekend backlash: “Obviously there was no intention to show any disrespect towards any religious community.” [The opening ceremony] “I tried to celebrate the community’s generosity,” Dekan told reporters. Via Reuters.
“We believe this ambition has been achieved and we sincerely apologise if anyone was offended.”
“This interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus brings home the absurdity of human violence,” the official Olympics X account wrote.
Baron disputed these allegations.
“Many of the ancient gods were extraordinarily violent,” Baron said. “The Christian church looked at the ancient myths and saw them as problematic in their portrayal of ultimate reality. Christianity proposes a God of love, forgiveness, mercy and non-violence.”
Fox News’ Gabriel Hayes, Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Click here to get the FOX News app
