French bishops complained Saturday about alleged "mockery of Christianity" during the norm-breaking opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, which has upset conservatives and drawn mixed reviews.

The rain-soaked parade on Friday evening had offered "wonderful moments of beauty, joy, rich emotions, and was universally praised," a statement from the French Bishops' Conference said on Saturday.

"However, this ceremony unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply regret," the bishops said.