UPDATE - Drag queens parody of Last Supper at Paris Olympics ‘dangerous': West Bank archimandrite

UPDATE: CORRECTS TITLE, SURNAME, CHANGES BYLINE, ADDS FURTHER DETAILS, EDIT THROUGHOUT

By Awad Rjoob and Esat Firat

ANKARA (AA) - A Roman Catholic archimandrite from Ramallah, Abdullah Yulio, criticized on Saturday a drag queen-led parody of the Last Supper during Friday’s opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, calling it "very dangerous."

In a statement to Anadolu, Yulio said: “There are forces that seek to preserve the external appearances of religion, but empty it of content and fight its values ​​and symbols.”

Stressing that ordinary people do not realize that religion is being targeted, he added: “This is happening in religion, in politics and in every field. In this way, values are eliminated and society is transformed into a society devoid of values and symbols.

"However, all societies need values and symbols.”

During the opening celebrations of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper, which depicts Jesus Christ's meal with his disciples, was reenacted by drag queens.

The reenactment has provoked a backlash, inviting widespread criticism.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi and Serdar Dincel​​​​​​​​​​​​​​