We consider de Finetti's optimal dividends problem with absolutely continuous strategies in a spectrally negative L\'evy model with Parisian ruin as the termination time. The problem considered is essentially a generalization of both the control problems considered by Kyprianou, Loeffen & P\'erez (2012) and by Renaud (2019). Using the language of scale functions for Parisian fluctuation theory, and under the assumption that the density of the L\'evy measure is completely monotone, we prove that a refraction dividend strategy is optimal and we characterize the optimal threshold. In particular, we study the effect of the rate of Parisian implementation delays on this optimal threshold.
