Interfaith Summit Seeks Way Forward After Chokehold Tragedy

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With the discord now occurring in Ferguson, Mo., as a counterpoint and possible warning, Cardinal Dolan hosted Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner William Bratton and religious leaders from across the city Aug. 20 for a roundtable discussion on reconciliation, trust and peace-building between police and community after the death of a Staten Island man in police custody last month.

The meeting of about a dozen civic and religious leaders came just days before the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the participants at the meeting, was to lead an Aug. 23 march on Staten Island protesting the death of Eric Garner July 17. An NYPD officer allegedly used an illegal chokehold to subdue the man during an arrest.

Cardinal Dolan said he appreciated the mayor’s invitation to host the dialogue and he noted the cohesive force of religion and faith in the city.

“Let us count our blessings for a second,” he said. “In how many places in the world could something like this take place? That leaders, and look at this diversity of religions, come together in friendship and respect for a common goal, namely the health, the safety and reconciliation of the city that we love.”

Rev. Sharpton was the first to draw a distinction between the aftermath of Garner’s death on Staten Island, where things have been relatively quiet despite the anger felt by many, and the days of often violent street protest and a heavy-handed police response in the St. Louis suburb that followed the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, at the hands of the police there.

He had just returned from St. Louis where he had agreed to speak at Brown’s funeral Aug. 25. Brown relatives are also expected to attend the Staten Island march.

Cardinal Dolan said he had asked Rev. Sharpton about what he saw in St. Louis, the cardinal’s hometown.

“When I flew back the other day I thought about how different it was that we’re going to sit down in the Cardinal’s Residence than what I saw on the streets of Ferguson,” said Rev. Sharpton at a news conference afterward at the Palace Hotel across Madison Avenue from the Cardinal’s Residence.

Rev. Sharpton promised the upcoming march would be peaceful and respectful, and Commissioner Bratton responded that the police would act in a respectful and professional manner.

The commissioner explained that respect for the law was not only an obligation of the police but of the community as well. “The police, when we enforce it, that we do it lawfully, respectfully and consistently, and the public, that they obey it,” he said.

For his part, the mayor said he hoped the meeting with religious leaders would set a positive tone as the city moves beyond the tragedy. He said the dialogue would continue.

“We want this to be a transcendent moment for this city,” the mayor said. “We’ve experienced a tragedy with the death of Eric Garner but this is not about a single incident or being mired in the past. This is about a very purposeful and consistent effort forward.” He said religious leaders have a fundamental and specific role to play, and he thanked Cardinal Dolan for hosting the meeting.

“This was an extraordinary gathering for the first lady, Commissioner Bratton, Chief (Philip) Banks and I to be in the presence of so many extraordinary, exceptional spiritual leaders. It was really uplifting for us,” he said. “It was important to hear their shared commitment to moving this city forward.”

“The goal of the meeting was to talk about how we move the city to the future,” he said. “How we put divisions behind us; how we bring police and community together. And we acknowledge the absolutely essential role of faith communities and faith leaders in the process.”

Cardinal Dolan, speaking on behalf of the spiritual leaders, said, “We believe in a God that can bring good out of evil. We just went to for two solid, productive, enlightening, uplifting hours. And I think when all is said and done that the healing, the reconciliation, the progress that has begun is going to continue. Mayor, we appreciate your leadership, the police force, and I’m immensely grateful for the leaders in ministry behind me.

“We’re committed to this city. We love this city,” the cardinal said. “We’re at your service, and God’s going to bring good out of this setback.”