Priest ‘relieved’ of duties in Sabrina Carpenter music video fallout
Sabrina Carpenter’s music video has resulted in one priest being “relieved” of his duties. (Freenjoy/Sabrina Carpenter/YouTube)
A priest has been “relieved” of his duties after allowing Sabrina Carpenter to film the music video for her single “Feather” inside a Catholic church in Brooklyn.
Shortly after the music video for “Feather” dropped on Halloween, Catholics made it clear they weren’t impressed with the use of a Brooklyn church in one scene.
Certain scenes for the music video were filmed both inside and outside of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary church in Williamsburg. In said scenes, Carpenter is seen celebrating the deaths of various toxic men in her life at a particularly upbeat funeral ceremony.
Nearly one month later, it has been confirmed that a Catholic priest was “relieved” of his administrative duties because he allowed the music video to be filmed in his church.
The New York Times reports that Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello had been disciplined by the Diocese of Brooklyn just days after the music video came out.
According to the paper, the Blessed Virgin Mary Church failed to follow protocol that dictates what can be recorded on church property when the priest gave Sabrina Carpenter permission to film.
The music video, which now has over 11 million views, sees Carpenter dance around in a black tulle dress and veil inside the church, shortly after killing off toxic men in her life in a horror-inspired visual.
Carpenter takes out performative feminists by luring them out in front of traffic, sparks a jealousy-fuelled brawl in a gym, and crushes a sleazy suit in an elevator before rocking up to the church in a pink hearse.
In the church scenes, Carpenter dances and poses in front of the altar, surrounded by pastel-coloured coffins and bedazzled urns.
Now, after stating that he was “appalled at what was filmed” inside the 19th-century premises, Bishop Robert Brennan confirmed to the Times that he had “relieved” Monsignor Gigatiello of his duties.
In a statement posted to the Blessed Virgin Mary Church’s Facebook page, Monsignor Gigantiello sincerely apologised and explained that he had allowed filming to take place “in an effort to further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community and the parish.”
The pastor added that he did a “general search” of Sabrina Carpenter and didn’t find anything “questionable”, so agreed to let filming go ahead after removing the Blessed Sacrament from the church.
He continued: “The parish staff and I were not aware that anything provocative was occurring in the church nor were we aware that faux coffins and other funeral items would be placed in the sanctuary. Most of the video was supposed to be filmed outside, which it was.
“While I take full responsibility for the erroneous decision to allow filming, I want to assure you that I had no knowledge that such a scene would be filmed in our church which we worked so hard to restore to its present sacred beauty.”Carpenter – who shot to fame in Disney Channel’s Girl Meets Word – has not issued apology.
