Pop singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter has recently caused a stir in the Catholic Church. Now, in a new interview with Variety shortly after she wrapped opening for Taylor Swift on “The Eras Tour”, the singer addressed the controversy that shrouded the Brooklyn, New York Archdiocese for weeks. Carpenter said “we got approval in advance. And Jesus was a carpenter.” The simple and to the point explanation has fans admiring her for sticking to her work, and critics continuously disappointed in her seeming dismissal of the Catholic Church.
Churchgate began when Carpenter‘s nonchalant pop breakup anthem “Feather” finally got the music video treatment, in a wide range shoot that featured a number of different scenic New York City backdrops. The song’s chorus offers Carpenter’s light and literally feathery vocals singing “I feel so much lighter like a feather with you off my mind.”
The music video, which dropped on Halloween, features Carpenter killing the men in the video who do her wrong or bother her. The darkly comical concept culminates at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation of the B.V.M. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where Carpenter, donning a black minidress and veil, attends their funeral smiling.
The song has long been one of Carpenter’s biggest career hit songs, and the video received applause from fans of the singer. In the weeks following, the Archdiocese of Brooklyn revealed that they were none too amused by her antics in the video. In a statement from the Church, the Diocese of Brooklyn stated that he was “appalled” at what was filmed at the parish. In the statement first given to the Catholic News Agency, he vowed to investigate how the video shoot was approved in the first place.
This week, following the investigation, a priest from Our Lady of Mount-Carmel is now facing repercussions for permitting Carpenter to film a portion of her music video there. Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello gave 24-year-old Carpenter and company permission to film in the church, which the diocese said went against “diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script.” Gigantiello has now been stripped of his administrative duties to the parish.
News of the clergy conflict first broke via Mark Irons of Catholic news service EWTN.
BREAKING: @BrooklynDiocese responds to sacrilegious video shot in Church by #SabrinaCarpenter @SabrinaAnnLynn
"Bishop Brennan is appalled at what was filmed at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn. The parish did not follow Diocesan policy regarding 1/3 pic.twitter.com/9s7VbtZel3
— Mark Irons (@MarkIronsMedia) November 1, 2023
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Following the chaos, Monsignor Gigantiello wrote a letter to the parish asking for forgiveness for allowing Carpenter’s “sacrilegious” video to be shot there.
APOLOGY: Msgr. Gigantiello takes "full responsibility" for "proactive" #sabrinacarpenter video filmed in@BrooklynDiocese
church. Says he "had no knowledge that such a scene would be filmed," and the $5,000 the church received for filming to be donated to crisis pregnancy center pic.twitter.com/605xEBLqkW— Mark Irons (@MarkIronsMedia) November 6, 2023
Social Media Reactions
Many found Carpenter’s response to be humorous and indicative of the stylings of previous female pop stars who challenged the Catholic Church, notably Lady Gaga and Madonna.
“And Jesus was a carpenter” has me DYING 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/hj9Nr3ihqK
— Danny (@dannywontmiss) November 29, 2023
oh she ate with this answer. the pop girly attitude is so back!
— jonny (@smgiscoming) November 29, 2023
Others appreciated the biblical pun, as Jesus is historically recorded to have worked in carpentry, the profession that coincidentally matches her last name.
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She didn’t lie, Jesus was and still is a Carpenter
— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) November 29, 2023
The Brooklyn Archdiocese or the parish in question are yet to remark on the matter further.
