They were responding to a question in today's daily games news conference about apparent "offended reactions" to the spectacle from a Catholic and Muslim perspective and those "countries that don't share inclusivity and sexual freedom".
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One scene featuring drag artists in the ceremony was being viewed on social media as an interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper that some found offensive, including Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who branded it insulting and "sleazy".
"We imagined a ceremony to show our values and our principles so we gave a very committed message," Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said.
"The idea was to really trigger a reflection. We wanted to have a message as strong as possible."
Organisers worked with the International Olympic Committee on the topics they wanted to reflect in the show - including promoting LGBTQ+ and women's rights.
"Naturally we had to take into account the international community," Mr Estanguet said.
"Having said that - it is a French ceremony for the French games - so we trusted our artistic director.
"We have freedom of expression in France and we wanted to protect it."
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Paris 2024 artistic director Thomas Jolly was perplexed by the negative reactions to the show that turned bridges into settings for artistic performances.
"Our idea was inclusion," Mr Jolly said.
"Naturally when we want to include everyone and not exclude anyone questions are raised.
"Our subject was not to be subversive. We never wanted to be subversive.
"We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everybody.
"In France, we have artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country."
A music set by Barbara Butch - a DJ organisers described as an "LGBT icon" - played in a diversity section of the ceremony.
But several countries where same-sex relations are criminalised - including Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and Uganda - took part in the floating parade of athletes on Friday.
Speaking generally, Mr Jolly expanded on the vision for the ceremony's messaging, saying: "We have the right to love who we want. We have the right not to be worshippers. We have a lot of rights and this is what I wanted to convey."

The Hamas-run health ministry said another 100 people were wounded.
The attack hit the Khadija girls' school in Deir al Balah, one of the areas most populated with displaced families.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas command centre and that the school was being used to launch attacks against troops and as a weapons store.
A statement said it had taken "numerous steps" to minimise civilian harm including "appropriate munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence".
Wounded Palestinians have been taken to the nearby al Aqsa Hospital, others arrived there bloodied on foot.
Classrooms were destroyed by the attack and people searched through rubble to find victims and gather remains.
Civil defence workers said thousands of people were sheltering in the school and that it also contained a medical site.
Palestinian media said at least 14 people also died in Israeli strikes on Saturday in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Israeli military said it had urged people to temporarily evacuate southern neighbourhoods so it could "forcibly operate" there.
It said the offensive was in response to rocket fire from the area.
It's the second evacuation order in a week that's included striking part of the humanitarian zone, a 60-square-kilometre area full of tent camps.
About 1.8 million Palestinians are sheltering there, according to Israeli estimates, after being repeatedly uprooted by the fighting.
"These are forced displacement orders. What happens is when people have these orders, they have very little time to move," said a spokeswoman for the UN's Palestinian refugee agency.
Gaza health authorities say more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes since the war began - figures which don't distinguish between fighters and civilians.
About 1,200 Israelis were murdered and more than 200 kidnapped in the October Hamas attack that started the war.
Israel has pledged to wipe out Hamas but has been strongly criticised over the thousands of deaths - which include many women and children - and accused of not doing enough to limit civilian casualties, claims it denies.
It has repeatedly said Hamas deliberately embeds itself within civilian populations as cover, using people as "human shields".
Ongoing talks aimed to agree a ceasefire in exchange for the release of more hostages have so far proved unsuccessful.
America, Egypt, Qatar and Israel are set to meet in Italy on Sunday to continue negotiations on a deal.
US officials said yesterday that Hamas and Israel agreed on the basic framework of the deal.
However, Israel leader Netanyahu told US Congress this week the war would go on until "total victory" is achieved.

The far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, organised the 'unity' march from the Royal Courts of Justice to Trafalgar Square.
Some 1,000 Met Police officers were deployed to monitor the event, which sparked a counter demonstration by Jeremy Corbyn's Peace & Justice group, Stand Up To Racism, among others.
The counter-protesters marched from Russell Square to Whitehall, supported by a number of trade unions, the Stop The War coalition, Unite Against Fascism, and others.
Mr Robinson's supporters filled up The Strand waving the flags of England, Scotland, Wales, and the UK outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
Chants were heard of "Rule Britannia", Mr Robinson's name, and "we want our country back".
One man was seen with a T-shirt that read: "I identify as English", while others had Donald Trump merchandise.
When they reached Trafalgar Square, a band performed to protesters and Mr Robinson addressed the crowds.
Ahead of the march, the far-right activist rallied his followers on social media early on Saturday, claiming: "Today the people of Britain will send a message to the world.
"We will remain silent no longer. WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK."
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Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, who is in charge of this weekend's operation, warned that police will "intervene decisively" to deal with protesters who break the strict conditions about when and where they are allowed to demonstrate.
He added a "significant number" of officers are on duty as part of "a carefully planned operation" in an effort to keep people safe and prevent crime.

More than 130 homes have already been destroyed by the Park Fire, the state's largest wildfire of the year so far, which covered 480sq miles (1,243sq km) on Friday evening.
It started in Butte County on Wednesday and has been moving quickly north and eastwards since then.
Although no one is yet reported to have died, the dramatic spread of the blaze has seen firefighters draw comparisons to the Camp Fire of 2018 that killed 85 people and destroyed 11,000 homes in nearby Paradise.
Cal Fire incident commander Billy See said: "There's a tremendous amount of fuel out there and it's going to continue with this rapid pace."
A 42-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fire over reports he pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico before fleeing the scene.
Carli Parker is one of hundreds who have abandoned their homes in Chico.
The mother-of-five has been forced to leave her home twice before because of fires.
She said: "I think I felt like I was in danger because the police had come to our house because we had signed up for early evacuation warnings, and they were running to their vehicle after telling us that we need to self-evacuate and they wouldn't come back."
There were 110 active fires, covering an area of 2,800sq miles (7,250sq km), across the United States on Friday, according to the National Interagency Fire Centre.
In eastern Oregon, a pilot was found dead in a small air tanker plane that crashed while fighting one of the many blazes spreading across several western states.
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Oregon currently has the biggest blaze in the country, the Durkee Fire, which combined with the Cow Fire has burned almost 630sq miles (1,630sq km).
It remains unpredictable and was only 20% contained Friday, according to officials.
Fast-moving blaze
In rural Idaho, lightning sparked a fast-moving blaze that had spread to cover an area of 31sq miles (80sq km) on Friday, while homes have also been destroyed in eastern Washington.
Meanwhile, in the Canadian Rockies town of Jasper, Alberta, officials warned of a "wall of fire" as flames reached 100m (328ft) high and spread three miles (5km) in less than 30 minutes on Friday.
Up to half the buildings in the popular tourist town, which attracts more than two million visitors a year, are feared to have been lost, while 25,000 people have been forced to flee.
Alberta is currently battling facing around 176 wildfires, of which 50 are burning out of control.

The lucky winner rocketed overnight into the multi-millionaires club by matching all five main numbers - 04, 19, 23, 35, 37 - and the two bonus numbers of 04 and 08.
It is the second time a UK ticket-holder has won the EuroMillions jackpot this month.
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Andy Carter of the National Lottery said on Friday: "What a fantastic night for UK EuroMillions players, as a single ticket-holder has bagged tonight's life-changing £24m jackpot.
"That makes it two UK EuroMillions jackpot wins so far this month, after another lucky ticket-holder won the £33m jackpot in the draw on 5 July."
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