The organisers of the Paris Olympics have apologised after a drag queen parody of Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper featured in the opening ceremony.

The scene, which recreated the biblical scene of Christ and his apostles, included drag artists and a naked singer. It was heavily criticised by politicians and members of the Catholic Church.

On Sunday, Anne Deschamps, a Paris 2024 spokesman, said that “clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group”. Ms Deschamps said that the opening ceremony “tried to celebrate community tolerance”.

She added: “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.”

On Saturday, a number of prominent politicians criticised the skit, with Marion Maréchal, a far-Right member of the European Parliament, apologised to “all the Christians of the world who felt insulted” by the performance.

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister, branded it insulting and “sleazy”. “Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians across the world was a really bad start,” he wrote on X.

Elon Musk, the Tesla, X and Space X owner, also criticised the parody which he described as being “extremely offensive to Christians”.

Daniel French, vicar of Salcombe and Marlborough, also criticised the performance. He said: “The opening Olympic ceremony mocked Christianity and the Last Supper in a way it never would have for any other religion.”

He called on the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to join his calls for criticism of the performance.

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, was also heavily critical of the scene. In a video post on X, Bishop Barron said the parody reflected a “deeply secularist postmodern society” and represented “gross mockery”.

The controversial scene featured a group of around a dozen performers striking poses behind a long table. At the centre was a woman wearing a headdress that resembled a crown, while holding her hands out in a heart shape. She was flanked by drag queens, transgender dancers, and other artists who performed alongside her.

At the end of the scene, a serving tray was placed on the stage and a scantily clad man, who was painted blue, emerged from inside.

Thomas Jolly,  the opening ceremony artistic director, said he was perplexed by the negative reactions to the show. He said: “Our subject was not to be subversive. We never wanted to be subversive. We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. 

“We wanted to include everybody. In France, we have artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country.”

Painted in the late 15th-century, The Last Supper is a mural by Leonardo da Vinci. It depicts Jesus with the 12 apostles, showing the moment after he has announced that one of his apostles will betray him.