A Catholic nonprofit based in Colorado is spending millions to purchase tracking data that identifies members of the priesthood using dating and hookup apps, according to a new investigation from TheWashington Post. The Catholic Laity and Clergy for Renewal group has used this data to prepare reports for bishops across the country on individual priests’ usage of apps like Grindr—a hookup app for gay men—the outlet reports. While most of the data is from Grindr, the Post reports that the nonprofit also identified members of the clergy using other apps for gay men—including Scruff and Jack’d—as well as the popular dating site OkCupid. Critics are calling the move “weaponized, anti-gay surveillance,” and sources familiar with the matter said project organizers were focused on gay priests in particular, the Post reports. Meanwhile, Jayd Henricks—the group’s president—released a statement just a day prior to the investigation’s release: “It isn't about straight or gay priests and seminarians. It’s about behavior that harms everyone involved, at some level and in some way, and is a witness against the ministry of the Church.”
