In a statement on Sunday, Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Church expressed strong disapproval: "What happened at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is shameful and a mockery of the Christian religion."

The contentious scene in Friday's Seine parade in Paris featured dancers, drag queens, and a DJ in poses that resembled traditional depictions of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus is said to have shared with his apostles. Several Catholic groups and French bishops have criticised the portrayal, calling it "scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity." The IOC was even forced to apologise following the backlash.

"The Olympic Games aim to bring people together in love, respect, and cooperation, not in wounding and division," the Iraqi church's statement continued. Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Iraq's leading Christian figure and patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, expressed solidarity with the Church in France and its Assembly of Bishops.

Archbishop Benedictus Younan Hanno of the Syriac Catholic Church of Mosul urged his congregation to fast on Monday in protest of the sketch. "We have nothing to offer but praying and fasting so God forgives this great insult, an insult not only to the religion but also to humanity," he told AFP.

"We were shocked because France is a country of secularism and humanity, a country that respects all nationalities and religions, that such very offensive behavior towards religious symbols would come from it," he added.

Thomas Jolly, the theatre director responsible for the Olympic opening ceremony, has denied that the segment was inspired by the Last Supper. "The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus," Jolly told BFM channel.

Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps stated on Sunday, "Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group." She added, "If people have taken any offence, we are of course really, really sorry."