Sabrina Carpenter: Irish-American bishop ‘appalled’ by steamy music video filmed on church altar
The music video shows Sabrina Carpenter dancing “provocatively” on the church altar.
Sabrina Carpenter in her new music video “Feather.”
An Irish-American bishop is “appalled” that a raunchy music video was filmed at a Catholic church in Brooklyn, New York.
Bishop Robert Brennan, whose maternal grandfather was from Co Sligo, said he was unimpressed that singer Sabrina Carpenter was recently given permission to screen her new music video Feather at the historic 19th-century Church of the Annunciation turn.
The video, released on October 31, shows the exterior and interior of the church, with the American pop star dancing “provocatively” on the church’s altar.
She wears a black lace outfit and a veil with a gold cross necklace while surrounded by pastel colored coffins.
One of the coffins bears the inscription “RIP b***h,” while the church’s statue of the Virgin Mary looks down from the altar.
Other religious paraphernalia shown in the video includes a beaded urn that reads “RIP” and a statuette that reads “Good Girls Go to Heaven.”
In a statement, the Diocese of Brooklyn told the Catholic News Agency (CNA) that Bishop Brennan is “horrified by what was filmed at Annunciation Church in Brooklyn.”
“The congregation did not follow diocesan guidelines regarding filming on church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script,” the statement said, adding that Brennan “is taking this matter seriously and will continue to look into it.”
The parish reportedly told the diocese that the production company “did not accurately represent the video content.”
The diocese is conducting “a review of documents submitted to the parish in advance of the performance, although it does not represent the entirety of the scenes and clearly depicts inappropriate behavior unsuitable for a church space.”
The diocese later told CNA that Bishop Brennan “restored the sanctity of this church and repaired the damage” by offering a special Mass on Nov. 4.
Additionally, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced that Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, who allowed Carpenter’s music video to be filmed in the church, had his administrative oversight of the parish revoked and that his term as vicar for development of the diocese ended on November 3.
Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski has been appointed interim administrator of Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish by Bishop Brennan.
