David Bowie’s new music video has been met with temporary removal from YouTube and disdain from a Catholic group. “The Next Day,” the title of his new track and his first album in a decade, features gory images of near naked women, self-flagellation, and stigmata.

The music video presents a seedy scenario, wherein corrupt priests and bishops hang out in a bar, and the entertainment comes in the form of nude women. It also stars Academy nominated and Bafta Award winner Gary Oldman as a shady priest, and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard as a prostitute who suddenly experiences stigmata.

YouTube took down the video for its graphic content, but promptly restored it, admitting that they had made a mistake.

“With the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call. When it’s brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it,” a spokesman for the video sharing Web site has been quoted by the BBC as saying.

It’s not only the video that is an issue for the Catholic League. President Bill Donahue also finds Bowie as an artist objectionable.

“David Bowie is back, but hopefully not for long. The switch-hitting, bisexual, senior citizen from London has resurfaced, this time playing a Jesus-like character who hangs out in a nightclub dump frequented by priests, cardinals and half-naked women.

“The video is strewn with characteristic excess: one priest bashes a homeless man, while others are busy hitting on women; self-flagellation is depicted; a dancing gal with bleeding hands makes a stigmata statement; and a customer is served eyeballs on a plate. The lyrics refers to the ‘prest stiff in hate’ and ‘women dressed as men for the pleasure of that priest.’ The song concludes with, ‘They can work with Satan while they dress with the saints.’

“In short, the video reflects the artist – it is a mess.”

“The Next Day” is Bowie’s 24th studio album, the first one after ten years. It peaked at No. 2 in the Australian Albums Chart when it was released in March.