Archbishop of Athens condemns Olympics opening ceremony

Olympic competitions are not broadcast in Russia

Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Ieronymos has lambasted the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris.

“All this is worthy of absolute contempt,” the Orthodox Times portal quoted him as saying.

The Olympics opening ceremony, which took place on July 26, featured a provocative parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” In addition, the event was marked by some other mishaps: the Olympic flag near the Eiffel Tower was hung upside down, and athletes from South Korea were introduced as athletes from North Korea.

Parts of the ceremony that were widely circulated on social networks stirred debates both in Russia and abroad. Thus, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban slammed the ceremony for showing the lack of culture and public morals in the West. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that “there were some absolutely disgusting moments” during the ceremony and said it was a shame that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had approved it.

The Olympic Games are being held in Paris from July 26 through August 11. Athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete only as neutral on conditions that they are not affiliated with the military of law enforcement and do not represent team sports. Olympic competitions are not broadcast in Russia.