Erdogan condemns the Olympic Games opening ceremony – calls the Pope

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was not impressed by the Olympic Games opening ceremony. Now he is condemning the show – and means that it was disrespectful towards Christianity. I will call the Pope as soon as possible, he says.

» Updated:

» Published:

Erdogan condemns the Olympic Games opening ceremony – calls the Pope
Photo: Petros Karadjias/AP/TT

Share this article

One act during the show on Friday included several dancers and people in drag, reminiscent of the Last Supper that Jesus is said to have shared with his apostles.

Now, several world leaders are condemning the scene, including Erdogan.

He called the scene a disrespectful parody, among other things.

"I will call the Pope as soon as possible to show him this immorality that has been displayed against the Christian world and its followers. The Olympic Games have been used as a tool to distort human nature," Erdogan said during a party meeting.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also expressed his discontent with the act.

"Respect for #JesusChrist... is an undisputed and definitive issue for Muslims. We condemn these insults directed at the holy figures of divine religions," writes Khamenei on X.

Even the USA's former president Donald Trump dislikes the segment. In an interview with Fox News, Trump says:

I'm very open-minded, but I think what they did was shameful.

Earlier, the artistic leader Thomas Jolly has defended the segment, saying that it has been misunderstood.

It should be obvious. It's Dionysus who arrives at this table. He's there because he's the god of celebration according to Greek mythology, he says to French BFMTV and continues:

The idea was to depict a pagan celebration with the gods of Olympus.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Ragnar Carlsson Falls Short in World Championship Hammer Throw Qualifiers

Ragnar Carlsson Falls Short in World Championship Hammer Throw Qualifiers

Suldan Hassan Targets Olympic Gold at Los Angeles 2028

Suldan Hassan Targets Olympic Gold at Los Angeles 2028

Germany Wins European Basketball Championship After 32-Year Wait

Germany Wins European Basketball Championship After 32-Year Wait

Roony Bardghji Debuts for Barcelona in 6-0 Win Over Valencia

Roony Bardghji Debuts for Barcelona in 6-0 Win Over Valencia

Haaland Shines as Man City Dominates Manchester Derby 3-0

Haaland Shines as Man City Dominates Manchester Derby 3-0

Tour of Spain Final Stage Canceled Amid Protests in Madrid

Tour of Spain Final Stage Canceled Amid Protests in Madrid

Oliver Solberg Wins First WRC2 World Championship Title

Oliver Solberg Wins First WRC2 World Championship Title

Elfsborg Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 with Malmö in Allsvenskan Match

Elfsborg Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 with Malmö in Allsvenskan Match

Finland Narrowly Misses Bronze in European Basketball Championship

Finland Narrowly Misses Bronze in European Basketball Championship

Alex Norén Wins PGA Championship at Wentworth After Playoff Victory

Alex Norén Wins PGA Championship at Wentworth After Playoff Victory

Jamaica Wins First Men's 100m World Championship Gold Since Bolt

Jamaica Wins First Men's 100m World Championship Gold Since Bolt

Kajsa Bergqvist Emotional Over Almgren's World Championship Bronze

Kajsa Bergqvist Emotional Over Almgren's World Championship Bronze

Stockholm Derby Ends in Dramatic 3-3 Draw as Djurgården Scores Late

Stockholm Derby Ends in Dramatic 3-3 Draw as Djurgården Scores Late

Rolfö Shines with Assist in Super League Debut for Manchester United

Rolfö Shines with Assist in Super League Debut for Manchester United

Andreas Almgren Wins Historic Bronze in 10,000m at World Championships

Andreas Almgren Wins Historic Bronze in 10,000m at World Championships

Rosengård Suffers Fourth Straight Loss in 2-1 Defeat to AIK

Rosengård Suffers Fourth Straight Loss in 2-1 Defeat to AIK

Maja Åskag Places Ninth in World Championship Long Jump Final

Maja Åskag Places Ninth in World Championship Long Jump Final

Alexander Isak Misses Liverpool Debut in Win Over Burnley

Alexander Isak Misses Liverpool Debut in Win Over Burnley

Ricky Hatton, Two-Time World Champion Boxer, Dies at 46

Ricky Hatton, Two-Time World Champion Boxer, Dies at 46

Vanessa Kamga Sets Double Swedish Records and Stays in Japan

Vanessa Kamga Sets Double Swedish Records and Stays in Japan