By JENNIFER FERMINO
Last Updated: 6:54 AM, July 10, 2010
Posted: 2:53 AM, July 10, 2010
A Bronx priest is waging a holy war against Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada -- accusing the scandal-scarred Democrat of using his church as a prop to gin up support at the ballot box, sources told The Post.
Father George Stewart urged his parishioners to shun the lawmaker's anti-obesity veggie and fruit giveaway -- being held today outside of St. Brendan's Church in Norwood -- after he demanded Espada not use the church for campaigning.
Stewart -- who has been pastor at St. Brendan's for several years -- told his flock to steer clear of Espada's event right before he finished up Mass last week.
"Do not participate," Stewart said, according to parishioners who were at the Mass.
Espada -- who is running for re-election this year -- has held several events around the sprawling East 206th Street church in the past year, including food giveaways for poor people and giving vegetable and fruit freebies to encourage healthy eating in the neighborhood, which has a high obesity rate.
Stewart, 42, said he told Espada not to use the space around the church before, but said the Bronx Democrat just doesn't listen, according to parishioners.
"I told him not to use St. Brendan's as part of his campaign under the separation of church and state," Stewart reportedly said.
At one point, he even called the cops to complain that Espada was hogging the sidewalk near the church, said a parishioner.
One parishioner said the priest told the congregation that during one of their rows over where the events would be held, Espada railed at him, "I despise the Catholic Church and everything it stands for."
Another parishioner recalled it differently, saying that the priest said Espada fumed, "I hate Catholics."
Espada was raised Catholic. He did not return a call for comment.
"I don't know how he [Father Stewart] is against it. We have a problem in The Bronx with obesity," said Angel Caballero, who has worked on healthy-eating events with Espada in the past.
"The community needs it so much. I don't understand being against it. This is like a blessing."
Stewart did not return repeated calls for comment.
Espada's feud with a man of the cloth comes as state Democrats are seeking to oust the senator from their fold.
The full list of Espada's alleged sins runs longer than a recitation of the rosary.
He is under criminal and civil investigation over his Bronx health-care centers, where he has been accused of siphoning off $14 million in taxpayer money.
The corruption probe also includes allegations that his programs engineered a sham job-training program that paid janitors a measly $1.70 an hour.
He has also been accused of living outside his district in tony Westchester and brazenly flouting campaign finance rules for years.
Espada has routinely denied wrongdoing.
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