It was an eye-opening sight. More than 20 beautiful young women, all wearing purple dresses decorated with designs similar to Greek Ionic columns, appeared to be floating in mid-air. It happened in Olympia, Greece. It was a fitting location, as it was the ceremony where the Olympic torch was lit to see her depart, and ultimately her arrival in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
If I hadn't known that before I started watching videos of the ceremony, I would have easily believed that perhaps I had encountered a pagan ceremony on the dark web or the latest TikTok influencer acting like she was under the influence. Probably.
However, I was watching the official YouTube channel of the National Broadcast Company (NBC). The announcer explained every move of the High Priestess. I say “High Priest” because that's exactly what the announcer called her, with the seriousness of someone announcing the arrival of the King of England to Parliament. NBC producers emphasized the solemnity of the announcer's role by displaying Chiron with the title “High Priestess” on screen. And since she's no expert on ancient pagan rituals, I think she followed the correct rubric and prayed for the blessings of Apollo to help light the Olympic flame.
After a little research, I discovered a historical nugget that makes this neo-pagan ritual even more perplexing. The tradition of the torch being lit at the site where the concept of the Olympic Games was born in Greece and carried to the Olympic host city by a chain of human torch bearers appears to have been the brainchild of another Olympic organizer—in 1936. Berlin tournament. The National Socialists also emphasized neopagan symbolism and large-scale rituals. Of course, in 1940 and 1944 there was no torch relay. For the Germans were busy with their own processions back to Greece and all points north, south, east, and west.
It may not seem like it, but I like the Olympics and will probably watch a lot of the competition, but I'll pass on the Hymn to Odin and other pagan festivals. While I appreciate this amazing athletic achievement, I intend to maintain my belief that there is nothing metaphysically significant about this sport. The International Olympic Committee has a list of scandals, as long as you look at Bob Beaman's long jump record and the amount of money it generates, it is clear that everything has to do with the material and not the sacred.
Although it may seem superficial and theatrical, such as pretending to be a priestess serving an imaginary eternal being, there is a darker element to this entertainment. The official video of the ceremony, produced by a major American media conglomerate, serves as a spiritual warning to those of us Catholics who live a sometimes sedentary spiritual life in the comfort of the middle class. Culture in general. But every now and then, the pantomime of the Greek gods is a case in point, we are reminded that our faith was, and continues to be, a true counterculture movement. When we become too accustomed to taking seemingly “small” detours away from the divine focus of the universe, we end up taking risks.
There are practical reasons to be wary of such spectacles where occultist tendencies are celebrated. You can open doors that are supposed to be bolted and stay closed. If you want to view these neo-pagan exercises as some kind of harmless performance art, I think you'd better think again. Unbolting these doors can reveal unwelcome visitors, which explains why the Vatican has an International Society for Exorcism.
As the Bible makes clear, the path to heaven is filled with distractions. That's why our Lord left us a church and a road map. The Church, through her teachings and guidance, keeps us from going off the path and falling into spiritual sinkholes. Being interested in the occult, even superficially, amounts to driving impaired.
Now, let's all support the athletes competing in Paris this summer. But as we see more examples of pagan celebrations, many of which will take place at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics, we must continue to keep a spiritual eye on the church's own path. Let us all keep this in mind. signs. When it comes to pagan gods, the sign says “Road Closed”.