Most Rev Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, has issued a strong condemnation of the depiction of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with contemporary ideological figures at the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony in France. He described the portrayal as shocking and disrespectful to Christianity.
Bishop Badejo expressed concern over the ongoing trend in Europe and America to repurpose and cheapen Christian themes, disregarding the feelings of peace-loving Christians who practice and profess their religion peacefully. He highlighted the irony of this depiction being showcased in France, a nation with a rich Christian heritage, at a global event like the Olympics, which undermines claims of civility and respect for religious freedom in the West.
The Bishop urged Christians to exercise their right of outrage and boycott, advocating for actions to mitigate the damage caused and prevent future occurrences. He called on governing bodies and organizations to take full responsibility for allowing such tasteless and insulting art, which has the potential to exacerbate divisions in an already fractured world. Bishop Badejo also thanked those who expressed outrage ahead of the event.
He emphasized that, regardless of challenges faced, Africans must never disrespect or disregard religious symbols and sentiments, as doing so compromises humanizing and spiritual values and ideals.
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