PRESS STATEMENT
“This poor display of the Holy Sacrament as well as its sexualization by a cast of fringe artists cannot be explained away as a bout of artistic freedom, for it goes against the core belief of Christianity which is the offering of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the redemption of humanity.”
We have observed with disquiet, the events at opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic games on 26 July 2024, in which some half-clad artists attempted to parody the Last Supper of our LORD Jesus Christ, and the little efforts by the organizers to correct this impression.
This poor display of the Holy Sacrament as well as its sexualization by a cast of fringe artists cannot be explained away as a bout of artistic freedom, for it goes against the core belief of Christianity which is the offering of the body and blood of
Jesus Christ in the redemption of humanity.
Although the organizers have attempted to offer some excuses that their demarche was “never an intent to show disrespect to any religious group.”
But their argument that the display was in celebration of diversity cuts against the logic of not wanting to offend. Indeed, this explanation is
counter intuitive and betrays a lack of sensitivity to people of faith in a gathering as special as a global sports competition.
We therefore condemn this outrage against the Church without any reservation and call on the organizers to avoid any further trivialization of one of the most sacred rites of the Christian faith.
Let us therefore on behalf of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), urge France as a nation of faith, to do more to ensure the sanctity of the
Christian faith, for which it has an enviable history.
The LORD be with you.
The Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba, MA, BD, MA (Ed.), DD
Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria
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