Communist senators Ian Brossat and Pierre Ouzoulias are calling on the French government to put a stop to what they describe as “fundamentalist” Christian protests following a street prayer organised by Catholics in Paris to “atone for the blasphemy” of the Olympic Games opening ceremony.
On October 10, in a letter to the French Minister of Interior Bruno Retailleau, they expressed concern at the government’s apparent lack of response to the event.
“These fundamentalist practices raise concerns for us as they challenge the foundations of our republican principles. In our country, the offence of blasphemy is no longer part of the law. Every citizen has the right to express a critical opinion about religion, as long as it does not offend its followers,” they said.
“As the Minister of the Interior responsible for religious affairs, we are questioning you to understand your intentions and solutions to put an end to these acts,” they wrote.
In a social media post, Brossat challenged Retailleau.
“Blasphemy does not exist, and street prayers are prohibited. Will you take action to restore order?” he wrote.
Cher @BrunoRetailleau, 250 personnes organisaient une prière de rue dans le 7e ce lundi.
Leur objectif : « réparer le blasphème » prétendument commis lors de la cérémonie des JO.
Le blasphème n’existe pas et les prières de rue sont interdites.
Allez-vous remettre de l’ordre ? pic.twitter.com/7GExldJQLe
— Ian Brossat (@IanBrossat) October 10, 2024
The praying event took place on October 7 in response to a moment of the opening ceremony of the games, featuring French singer Philippe Katerine and drag queens, which some saw as a parody of the Last Supper.
Upset by Philipe Katerine’s character appearing naked and painted blue, the prayer-givers gathered on a footbridge in Paris’ 7th arrondissement, where the actor had stood during the opening ceremony.
According to one of the attendees, hundreds gathered in Paris for the event.
“On the feast of our Lady of the Rosary, around 250 young Catholics gathered on the Debilly footbridge in Paris for a rosary of reparation after this mixture of blasphemy, Satanism and LGBT ideology during the opening ‘ceremony’ of the Olympic Games,” said Mathieu Goyer a former member of the now-dissolved Catholic organisation Civitas.
✝️ Lundi 7 octobre, en la fête de Notre Dame du Rosaire, environ 250 jeunes catholiques se sont réunis sur la passerelle Debilly à Paris pour un chapelet de réparation après ce mélange de blasphème, de satanisme et d’idéologie LGBT lors de la « cérémonie » d’ouverture des JO ! pic.twitter.com/MkjY6oF7l4
— Mathieu MG GOYER (@mg12gm) October 10, 2024
