IOC apologizes for parody of da Vinci's Last Supper at Paris Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a formal apology on Sunday following complaints about a part of the opening ceremony that parodied Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

In particular, the Catholic Church found the scene depicting the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples to be highly offensive.

The IOC said in its statement that it never intended to disrespect any religious group.

"Obviously, no disrespect to any religious group was intended. Instead, we wanted to show tolerance and community. "We apologize if people were offended, " IOC spokeswoman Ann Decam said at a press conference.