Tehran, YJC. The Most Reverend Theodore E. McCarrick, the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey has said that if there should be unity among followers of different religions, they must have face-to-face talks.
The archbishop made his statement in Tehran on Tuesday, the report of which
was published by Tehran Times on Wednesday.
When asked what diverse religions must do to prevent extremist reactions such
as carried out by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Cardinal
McCarrick stated:
"By meetings just like this one [WAVE], by getting people face to face, looking
at the truth and the reality and understanding how we have to start talking
together, talking to each other not talking with each other without anybody
listening, and getting to understand each other. Once we do that, we appreciate
each other and when we appreciate each other then we can all work with each
other. It is a long process but it begins by people talking to each other.”
"Good people, wise people must get
together and figure out how to deal with this very worrisome problem of ISIS,”
he noted.
Speaking about his views on the outcome of the World Against Violence and
Extremism meeting, Right Reverend John Bryson Chane told Tehran Times: 'The
proof is in the pudding. In other words, what comes out of this first
conference, WAVE, in terms of plan of action is crucial. I have been involved
in so many of these [gatherings] where we’ve had exceptional scholars and
clerics and…, non-clerical persons, non-ordained persons and we worked really
hard and we came away with good memories.”
"This conference for me is an unbelievably gifted experience because it brings
diplomats, foreign ministers, clerics from every tradition and even scholars
from every tradition to one place for two days for conversation.”
"The presentation opening yesterday (December 9) with Iranian President Rouhani
and also Foreign Minister Zarif was very important.”
"Now, will it get disseminated to what I call the West? Will it get
disseminated to this region? That is going to be up to the IPIS, and the media
to do that.”
"Unfortunately, the media do not really cover the news when they are not
sensational about it. The media where I come from is in the business of
selling, so the religious news doesn’t really get published. "
'We no longer get our religion reporter from the New York Times; we no longer
have our religion quarter from Washington Post; so it is really hard to get the
message out, unless you are dealing with a crisis. That is unfortunate, because
this [gathering] is really unusual. You get this many people together with as
many different perspectives as they have shared and you are dealing with Shias
and Sunnis, advocates and Christians and then you are dealing with politicians
and diplomats including foreign ministers . This is really important and those
connections have to be made right now.