00:00Well, most significantly, we've heard from the Deputy Prime Minister himself, the leader
00:06of the right-wing anti-immigrant party, the League Party, Matteo Salvini.
00:10He took to social media on Saturday saying that opening the Olympics insulting millions
00:16of Christians in the world is really a bad start.
00:20Dear French people, it's squalid.
00:22Now, he posted this message together with two photos, one showing the apparent drag
00:28queen-led parody of The Last Supper, which was seen in one of the scenes during that
00:33Olympic opening ceremony, and he contrasted that with the actual image of the painting
00:39of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous paintings in the world
00:43that is located in Milan here in Italy.
00:46So clearly feeling that that somehow insulted the feelings of Christians around the world.
00:52We also heard from other members of Italy's far-right Brothers of Italy party, that's
00:57the party of Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni.
01:00Some of the lawmakers, one of them saying, ironically, it felt more like gay pride.
01:04It wasn't really the opening of the Olympics.
01:07Another senator saying essentially that this ceremony brought shame and embarrassment to
01:14France and to Europe, and they also reacted to the fact that Italy's president, Sergio
01:18Mattarella, was seen wearing a raincoat, looking rather disheveled when he waved to the Italian
01:24Olympic team, in sharp contrast, they say, to President Macron, who was under shelter.
01:29But it's clear that the parties of these leaders have in the past contrasted with the French
01:34president, and so perhaps it was in that light, but clearly they didn't like that sentiment
01:39of what they felt was an insult to Christians around the world, particularly that scene
01:44of The Last Supper.
01:45So the French Catholic Church has come out and criticized that Last Supper parody, which
01:50was performed by drag queens, as you said.
01:52Junia, the Vatican in Rome, have there been other reactions from the Catholic world specifically?
02:00Well, we haven't heard specifically from the Vatican, but we have heard now from those
02:04French bishops, as you mentioned.
02:05I mean, they started off talking about how there were moments of beauty and joy during
02:10the ceremony, but they deeply regretted what they said was scenes of derision and mockery
02:15of Christianity.
02:17They said Christians could be hurt by these excesses and provocation of certain scenes.
02:22Now, they didn't actually mention that specific scene, but one can assume perhaps that that
02:27was what they were referring to.
02:29We've also heard from across the pond conservative Catholics in the U.S., particularly Bishop
02:35Robert Barron, who has a very strong presence online and on social media.
02:40He actually posted a video saying that it was a gross mockery of The Last Supper.
02:46It was blasphemous and emblematic of a deeply secular postmodern society, saying that it
02:52identifies Christianity as the enemy in such a representation.
02:56But, of course, those are what some Catholic leaders have to say.
02:59Others, though, perhaps maybe enjoyed the ceremony, maybe found some portions a little
03:03bit hard to understand.
03:04But now, I guess, all concentration on the games itself.
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