Cardinal Dolan, Religious Leaders Come Together Again Weeks After Meeting With Mayor De Blasio
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Cardinal Timothy Dolan hosted a special breakfast meeting for a group of city religious leaders Monday morning.
The meeting, which was held at the cardinal's residence on Madison Avenue, came weeks after the group first gathered at the request of Mayor Bill de Blasio in the aftermath of the death of Eric Garner in police custody on Staten Island.
Cardinal Dolan Calls Together Religious Leaders For Second Meeting
Dolan said he convened Monday's meeting to keep the dialogue going.
"What we want to do is have a well choreographed group of people who know one another, who trust one another, who meet regularly and who aren't caught off guard when there are crises," Dolan said.
Cardinal Dolan Holds Follow-Up Meeting With Religious Leaders
The Rev. Al Sharpton said he was encouraged when the cardinal reached out to convene the second meeting.
"Candidly there were those that felt we were just dealing with the crisis of the moment," Sharpton said. "It's going to be an ongoing, serious corroboration."
The group will continue to meet bimonthly to address various issues in their communities, 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported. During last month's meeting, the group explored ways to improve relations between police and the community.
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik said the meetings will also focus on matters such as gun violence and domestic violence.
The cardinal declared the group will meet for a third time just before Thanksgiving, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
"We don't want to wait for a crisis to have a well-oiled machinery of religious leaders working together," Dolan said. "We shouldn't have to wait for the eruption of a volcano."
The mayor and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton were not invited to the latest meeting. Going forward, Dolan said the mayor and police commissioner, or their aides, will attend.
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