The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics has sparked outrage among religious groups after being accused of including a blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper.
It has also angered a couple of popular Australian influencers: Chloe Szepanowski and her partner Mitchell Orval.
The couple, who describe themselves as “Jesus-loving, Spirit-led and family-focused” on their social media, shared angry posts on Instagram Stories on Saturday.
They compared Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, The Last Supper, with the scene from the Olympic Games, which featured drag queens and a “naked” man painted blue.
“Anybody else see Jesus being mocked at the Olympics?” Orval wrote.
“If he made me this angry, let it serve as a comforting reminder: they wouldn’t be doing this unless he was telling the truth!”
Szepanowski chimed in on his own post: ‘Well this is just the worst one yet.
“This year, God is being mocked. It is horrible, but it is one more reason to follow Jesus.”
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics sparked outrage from religious groups over allegations that it featured an allegedly blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper. It has also angered Australian influencers Chloe Szepanowski and her partner Mitchell Orval (both pictured)
Despite Chloe and Mitchell’s concerns, it has since come to light that Opening Ceremony was likely referencing a different piece of art.
US-based Reverend Benjamin Cremer shared a post on social media that dispelled the accusation that the controversial scene mocked the classical painting by Leonardo da Vinci and therefore Christianity.
The post reads: ‘It was a representation of the event called the Feast of Dionysus. Greek god of festivities, celebrations, rituals and theatre.
‘The Olympic Games are part of Greek culture and tradition. French culture is deeply rooted in celebration, festivities and performing arts.’
According to theory, the scene depicted at the opening ceremony was based on a painting called The Banquet of the Gods by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Bruegel, from around 1602.
The couple, who describe themselves as “Jesus-loving, Spirit-led, family-centered” on their social media, shared angry posts on Instagram Stories on Saturday.
Szepanowski chimed in: “Well, this is the worst thing that’s happened so far. This year they are making fun of God. It’s awful, but it’s one more reason to follow Jesus.”
It has since been discovered that the Opening Ceremony was likely referring to a different artwork, the Feast of Dionysus, and prominent religious figures have pointed out the error online.
Another social media post questioned the idea that the scene depicted the Last Supper.
Taylor Driskill Pafford wrote: ‘This painting is not specifically of Dionysus, but shows how festivals were often depicted during the Renaissance period, with much Greek influence.
‘It may resemble the feast of Dionysus and may also be reminiscent of the Last Supper.
‘That’s because during the Renaissance, many paintings depicting a party had a table with people on one side (and maybe a few at the front ends) and had them sitting and standing in different positions.’
Adding weight to Pafford’s argument, his post was shared by a pastor.
The Rev. Cassie Rapko wrote: “It was not the Last Supper, which is celebrated in Italy, not in France. It was the Feast of Dionysus.”
