Catholic Priest Stripped Of Administrative Duties For Allowing Sabrina Carpenter Video Shoot In Brooklyn Church
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter released her “Feather” video on Halloween. Within days, a Catholic priest who allowed part of the video to be shot inside his Brooklyn church had been relieved of his administrative duties, the New York Times reports.
In the last phase of the video, which has been viewed more than 11 million times, Carpenter, wearing a short black tulle dress and veil, dances down the aisle of Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish, and poses with various religious items at the front of the room, including a coffin that reads “RIP BITCH.” It’s hardly the most scandalous instance of a popular musician using Catholic imagery, but it caused a stir amongst the Diocese of Brooklyn and Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation’s parishioners.
Bishop Robert J. Brennan told the Catholic News Agency he is “appalled at what was filmed at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn,” adding that “The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script.” Brennan later held a Mass of Reparation, which the diocese said “restored the sanctity of this church and repaired the harm.” About 50 “visibly upset” people attended the mass.
The parish’s pastor, Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello, was stripped of his administrative duties overseeing the church in response to the scandal. In an apology posted to the church’s Facebook page, he was approached about the video shoot in September and approved it after not turning up anything objectionable about Carpenter in an online search, in an “effort to further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community.” He told the Times he was told the video would feature a funeral scene, but the end result is “not what was initially presented to me.”