Waging a Holy War Against Pedophile Priests

july 1, 2003  05:41 pm
Waging a Holy War Against Pedophile Priests
Seven years ago, conservative Roman Catholic activist Steven Brady began a crusade to root out priests involved in sexual scandal. Operating from his pizza parlor in rural Petersburg, Ill., Brady’s group, Roman Catholic Faithful, conducted Internet and direct-mail campaigns to oust priests in dioceses from Dallas to South Africa. Critics say Brady goes on the attack with scant evidence, but he’s caught some priests through their own personal ads. "He has no natural ability to identify or interpret facts," admits one supporter. "However, he is such an idiot that I'm sure God is leading him." In a two-part series, Illinois Times’ Pete Sherman talks to Brady about RCF’s self-professed mission to fight "corruption within the Catholic hierarchy." Brady is blunt: "We are in the business of destroying lives, but lives that need destroying."