Vatican: We're saddened by 'Last Supper' parody

The Vatican said it was saddened by the scene, which looked like a parody of " The Last Supper" of Leonardo da Vinci, which was presented at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.

"The Holy See was saddened by some scenes during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris and cannot but join the voices raised in recent days to express regret for the offense inflicted on many Christians and believers by others religions", said the unusual press release published on Saturday in French.

The extract in question from the ceremony on July 26 resembled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles having the last meal before the crucifixion, but at the table there were transvestites, a transgender model and a naked singer in the role of the Greek god of wine Dionysus, Reuters recalled.< br />
Two days later, the organizers apologized, stressing that they had no intention of disrespecting any religious group.

"At a prestigious event where the whole world unites around common values, there should be no hints mocking the religious beliefs of many people. Freedom of expression, which is clearly not in question, finds its limit in respect for others," the Vatican statement said.

The Holy See did not indicate why it was releasing its statement more than a week after the event in the French capital.

On August 1, Pope Francis held a telephone conversation with the Turkish president, and a press release from the office of the Turkish leader stated that one of the topics discussed was the ceremony in Paris, Reuters recalls.