A Brooklyn priest has been relieved of his administrative duties following his decision to allow pop star Sabrina Carpenter to film her racy “Feather” music video inside Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.
A New York Times report over the weekend stated Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, the Church’s pastor, gave Carpenter’s team the green light to film on church premises. The Diocese of Brooklyn explained in a statement to Catholic News Agency that the parish did not follow diocesan protocol to review the video’s scenes and scripts before approving filming. Gigantiello has since been removed from his tenure as the Vicar of Development for the Diocese and administrator.
The music video shows men vying for Carpenter’s affection in a fight to the death. A scene in the church features their coffins on display at the church’s altar. The former Disney star dances around their coffins in a short, barely-there tutu dress, a crucifix necklace, and a veil. Crude props are placed on the altar as well, including coffins that say “RIP B***h,” and other pastel-colored props that mimic votive candles, angels, and presumably wine for consecration.
Since its Halloween release, the video has amassed 11 million views and 522K likes.
Yeah Sabrina Carpenter dancing around the altar of a Catholic Church definitely isn’t right, but as a Catholic I’m most disappointed in the archdiocese for not having someone on standby to disapprove of those shots. What are we doing guys @NY_Arch?? This falls on you.
— Anna Rose (@rosebud96) November 3, 2023
Gigantiello explained in a letter posted to the Parish’s Facebook page that he signed off on the project after doing a general search of Carpenter and not finding anything questionable.
A quick search of Carpenter’s social media reveals the singer’s signature scantily clad style and music that unabashedly celebrates her romantic and sexual ventures. Her most popular song, “Nonsense,” is riddled with not-so-discreet innuendos.
The Msgr. also claimed in his letter that neither he nor parish staff were present at filming or were aware anything provocative would be filmed.
Townhall reached out to the parish’s office for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.
According to the diocese’s statement to Catholic News Agency, diocesan Bishop Robert Brennan was “appalled at what was filmed at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn.” Brennan also celebrated a Mass of Reparation at the church that “restored the sanctity of this church and repaired the harm.” Attendees of this mass were visibly upset, according to a press secretary for the diocese.
While “Feather” is hardly the first time Catholicism and pop culture have been at odds with each other, the public reaction has demonstrated both a lack of understanding and plain rejection of religious sanctity.
i dont listen to sabrina carpenters music but I do follow her on instagram and let me tell you i am delighted to hear that she has managed to piss off the catholic church to the point that they are desperately trying to sue her. woman of the year actually
— the sourceror²⁷ (@ANSWERINSP4DES) November 3, 2023
Many of Carpenter's fans have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to express praise for the singer for upsetting the Catholic Church. Other users have questioned why the singer and her team chose to film in a real church versus building a set to look like one, as is done for many other music videos.
The question of the day is why couldn't Sabrina Carpenter just make a film set of a Catholic church?
— Amy (@amywrites2) November 8, 2023