Bishop Robert Barron, a leading Catholic figure and evangelist, criticized the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Paris this week for “mocking this very central moment in Christianity.”
As the leader of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota and a prominent Catholic influencer, Barron shared a video on X this past Friday expressing his dismay over the shocking portrayal of drag queens impersonating Christ and his apostles during the Last Supper at the Olympic opening ceremony in the French capital.
“What do I see but this gross mockery of the Last Supper,” Barron remarked to his over 285 thousand followers on X on Friday.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Barron remarked that the drag queen “Last Supper” performance demonstrated that Christians in the West are becoming overly passive and “weak.”
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Bishop Robert Barron, head of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, condemned the blasphemous Last Supper display featured at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris.
(Word on Fire Ministries)
This controversial display showcased several performers, including drag queens and a considerable woman adorned with a halo crown, parodying “The Last Supper,” a universally recognized artwork by Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci depicting Christ and his apostles during Passover night before His passion and death.
The event ignited outrage among Christians and conservatives online, including Barron, who expressed his disappointment that a nation with such rich Catholic roots would mock such a crucial event from the Gospels.
“France felt, as it tries to present its finest cultural image, that the appropriate action was to mock this very central moment in Christianity, where Jesus at His Last Supper offers His body and blood in anticipation of the cross, which is portrayed as a gross sort of flippant mockery,” he explained.
Having recently addressed a significant Catholic conference on the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament of Holy Communion, the bishop pointed out how the display contradicts France’s Catholic history.
“France, once dubbed the eldest daughter of the church, where Thomas Aquinas and Vincent De Paul taught and where King Louis IX—St. Louis—was pivotal, has sent Catholic missionaries across the globe.”
Emphasizing his point, he said, “France’s culture—particularly its reverence for the individual, human rights, and freedom—is deeply rooted in Christianity, yet it seemed fit to mock the Christian faith.”
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A view of the Eiffel Tower with the Olympics rings pictured with national flags of competing countries from the Place du Trocadero ahead of Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 21, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kevin Voigt/GettyImages)
Bishop Barron stated that the left openly acknowledges its opposition to Christianity, saying, “What’s intriguing here is that this deeply secular, postmodern society knows its enemy well. They’re naming it. And we should take them at their word.”
He urged Catholics and Christians not to shrink back or remain passive in the face of this anti-Christian sentiment, declaring, “We Christians, we Catholics, should not be timid; we must resist and ensure our voices are heard.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Barron provided guidance on how Christians can counter this animosity, stating, “Christians must always oppose evil, and we have indeed become too weak in the presence of our cultural adversaries. Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek does not equate to passivity, as evidenced by the work of Martin Luther King.”
“King employed non-violent methods to challenge forms of wickedness ingrained in our society. Turning the other cheek and going the extra mile are practical tactics designed to reflect a person’s injustice back to them in the hopes they might cease their actions and seek repentance,” he explained.
Continuing with his thoughts, Barron stated, “We should emulate King’s example in his pursuit of justice: call out evil, label it for what it is, expose its negativity, and strive to obstruct it.” He also highlighted how effective social media can be in combating evil, saying, “Today, social media provides us with a platform to achieve all these objectives. This is why I utilized my own platforms to resist what transpired in Paris—and I believe it was quite effective.”
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