A Brooklyn priest who allowed pop star Sabrina Carpenter to film her raunchy “Feather” music video in a holy church has been relieved of his duties.
Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was dramatically removed from all pastoral oversight at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish – Announced after an investigation into alleged financial misconduct uncovered.
Bishop Robert Brennan alleged that Gigantiello made unauthorized fund transfers to a former top aide to New York Mayor Eric Adams, a contact now embroiled in his own corruption investigation.
“I am saddened to report that investigations conducted by Alvarez & Marsal and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP have revealed evidence of serious violations of diocesan policies and protocols at Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Annunciation Parish.” , said the bishop.
Another church official has already been elected to take full control of the parish.
“To safeguard the public’s trust and protect the Church’s funds, I have appointed Bishop Witold Mroziewski as parish administrator,” Brennan revealed.
The investigation also uncovered other alleged instances of administrative impropriety involving Gigantiello using the church’s credit card for “substantial” personal expenses.
Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was dramatically removed from all pastoral oversight at Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Annunciation Parish after an investigation revealed shocking alleged financial misconduct
The priest’s demise comes months after Carpenter’s provocative music video shoot last November sparked widespread criticism
It was also revealed that Gigantiello had secretly recorded a deacon making racist and offensive comments in his own church.
The disgraced priest was caught transferring as much as $1.9 million in parish funds to a law firm without diocesan approval.
Church records show that Gigantiello transferred $1 million to Carone’s law firm Abrams Fensterman LLP in January 2019, while another $900,000 was transferred in August and November 2021 – all without official oversight. New York Post reported.
But his lawyer, Arthur Aidala, tried desperately to defend the priest, claiming the transfers were “investments” and not loans, and that he was not abusing his credit card privileges.
“The bishop has relieved him of his financial duties, not his pastoral duties,” Aidala told the Post.
“The credit card is part of his compensation package,” he added.
The priest’s demise comes months after Carpenter’s provocative music video shoot last November sparked widespread criticism.
Bishop Robert Brennan revealed that Gigantiello made unauthorized fund transfers to a former top aide to New York Mayor Eric Adams – a contact now embroiled in a corruption investigation
The steamy scenes were shot in the holy church sanctuary.
Gigantiello called his decision to allow the music video an “error in judgment” in a letter to parishioners last November, saying he was not present at the time and was unaware of its magnitude.
At that time, Brennan criticized Carpenter’s video for her song “Feather,” which was filmed during the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.
In the video, Carpenter, 25, wears exclusively racy outfits as she watches several men who wronged her die.
At one point she steps into the church to attend a funeral for the dead men, where she moves through a number of pastel-colored coffins, one of which is labeled “RIP B****.”
The local bishop was shocked by the content of the video and expressed his dismay at the local parish for failing to prevent its recording.
His statement read: ‘The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding filming on church property, including a review of the scenes and script.’
The parish initially claimed that the production company had “failed to accurately portray the video content,” but an investigation found that the documents provided to the parish adequately described “inappropriate conduct unfit for a church sanctuary.” .