The government of Slovakia has declared it will boycott the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, citing an offense to Christianity and the “degenerate decadence” showcased during the opening ceremony. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba announced his decision on social media, canceling his planned attendance at the event.
Taraba, temporarily covering for Prime Minister Robert Fico after an assassination attempt in May, expressed his disgust with the LGBTQ-themed parody of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ that angered Christians globally. He condemned the ceremony as a misuse of the Olympics to promote progressive political agendas rather than celebrating sports.
“I was supposed to represent Slovakia at the closing ceremony, but this Olympics will be forever written as a repulsive symbol and degenerate decadence,” Taraba stated. He criticized the organizers for turning the beauty of sports into political theater.
Taraba’s Slovak National Party, part of the coalition government with the leftist-populist Direction-Social Democracy party led by Robert Fico, holds strong Christian right-wing views. Fico’s government combines left-wing economic policies with nationalism and a rejection of globalist initiatives, such as Ukraine’s NATO and EU membership.
Taraba accused the Olympic organizers of insulting Christian symbols and promoting an agenda that he deemed an abomination. He highlighted that the opening ceremony’s portrayal was so offensive that it warranted removing the footage from YouTube. Taraba remarked, “The insults to Christianity and the presented decadence have reached such a level that they have offended the whole normal world, which understands the difference between culture and garbage.”
Taraba’s outrage was echoed by other Christian leaders, including Catholic Bishop Robert Barron, who described the scene as a “gross, flippant mockery” of a significant moment in Christianity.
The artistic director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, responded by claiming any resemblance to the Last Supper was coincidental, stating his intention was to create a “great pagan festival.”
