A Spanish priest has resigned from his role as the dean of Toledo Cathedral after the church featured prominently in a provocative new music video.
According to the Catholic News Agency, Father Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche submitted his resignation over what has been deemed an improper use of the place of worship.
The Archdiocese of Toledo Francisco Cerro Chaves told the news outlet: "The Dean expresses his request for forgiveness from the institution, on his own behalf and on behalf of the various elements of the cathedral chapter, insofar as they have had responsibility, for all the errors and faults that may have been committed by word, deed and omission in the recent events."
Fr. Ferrer's tenure in the role had been due to end on November 5, but he will now exit on October 16 in the wake of the controversy. His resignation comes after the 13th century cathedral featured as the backdrop of a music video for a song titled, "Ateo," which translates to "Atheist" by Spanish rapper C. Tangana and Argentine singer and lyricist Nathy Peluso.
The video shows the pair engaging in a provocative dance together inside the cathedral while a series of onlookers, including a priest, watch on. At one point, Tangana is shown pulling on Peluso's hair while another shot from the video reveals a naked but pixelated Peluso holding Tangana's severed head. Both images are apparent allusions to artwork that features inside the cathedral.
The song's lyrics, meanwhile, include the line: "I was an atheist, but now I believe, because a miracle like you had to come down from heaven." Watch the video below:
The Catholic News Agency says Tangana paid 15,000 euros ($17,000) to use the venue. The resulting video was uploaded to YouTube on Friday, October 7. At the time of writing, it had received more than 7.8 million views.
In the immediate aftermath, Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves issued an apology to The Tablet, saying he "deeply regretted" the cathedral's involvement in the clip. "We humbly and sincerely ask for the forgiveness of all the faithful, whether lay people or priests, who have rightly felt wounded by this inappropriate use of a sacred place," he said.
According to the Latin Times, this isn't the first time Tangana has landed himself in hot water, having previously courted controversy in August 2020 after posting a picture of himself to social media surrounded by bikini-clad women.
