A petition launched by Pro Vita & Famiglia (Pro-Life and Family), based in Rome, is calling on the International Olympic Committee to condemn the 2024 Opening Ceremony in Paris that took place on 26 July.
“It is a disgrace that the most important sporting event in the world becomes the stage for a message of hate that offends billions of Christians”, says the petition, which has so far gained over 19,000 signatures (as of 6 August).
Many Christians were offended by the ceremony that included a parody of the Last Supper, a pivotal moment in Christianity famously depicted by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Jesus Christ and his disciples were portrayed by drag queens and pagan-like figures.
The Vatican spokesperson said that “the Holy See was saddened by certain scenes at the opening ceremony”.
Several golden idols of noted French feminists were also raised during the ceremony, which included Simone Veil (1927-2017) and Simone de Beauvoir, famous for their pro-abortion views that led to the legalisation of abortion in France in 1975.
SPUC slammed the idols as “reprehensible… The Olympics, which is supposed to be a celebration of life as well as sport, should not be hijacked in such a gross and political way.”
Earlier this year, French politicians voted to make abortion a right in France’s Constitution, as reported by SPUC.
Pro Vita & Famiglia is one of Italy’s most prominent pro-life organisations. Its headquarters in Rome have been attacked repeatedly, including with Molotov cocktails.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “The idolisation of abortion in France is part of a broader assault on the family and Western values that has sadly become the norm in the West, captured by a vindicative cultural elite.
“But we are now seeing some pushback against such ugly, life-denying radicalism. There are signs that Europeans, religious and secular people alike, are waking up to this extreme agenda, and this can only be a good thing in the fight for life.”
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