Milwaukee’s Archbishop Jerome Listecki has publicly demanded an apology from TMJ4 News for airing what he deems a blasphemous portrayal of the Last Supper during the Olympics opening ceremony. 

In his letter to the station’s General Manager, Listecki expressed his outrage, stating, “This shocking blasphemy against the central moment in Christianity when, during the Last Supper, Jesus gives his body and blood in anticipation of the cross, cannot go without a proper response by the local television station that aired the scene and its network.” He insisted on an apology to local Catholics and Christians and urged the faithful to engage in greater prayer and fasting as reparation.

The controversial scene, part of the ceremony’s “Festivity” display, featured elements that some viewers interpreted as mocking Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting of the Last Supper. Listecki emphasized, “I demand an immediate apology from you to local Catholics and all Christians. I also ask you to personally contact the NBC network president to obtain an apology for Catholics/Christians across this country.”

The artist, Thomas Jolly, and Paris Olympics spokesperson Anne Deschamps have denied any intent to disrespect religious groups. They claim the performance aimed to celebrate community tolerance and was inspired by a 17th-century Dutch painting, “The Feast of the Gods” by Jan van Bijlert, rather than the Last Supper.

Despite their explanations, the portrayal sparked significant backlash, including from U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who condemned the scene as insulting to Christians worldwide. Mississippi tech company C Spire even withdrew its Olympic advertising in protest.