The Washington Post reports on the recently freed Americans who were being held in an Iranian prison, accused of spying during a hiking
trip when they accidentally crossed into Iranian territory. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington, DC, played a role in the talks:
Before Ahmadinejad’s pardoning hand was checked, the campaign to free the men had gained momentum thanks to a meeting in a New York hotel conference room in September 2010, shortly after Shourd’s release. There, a private delegation met with Ahmadinejad and Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee.
Pressing for the men’s release were Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Washington; the Right Rev. John Bryson Chane, an Episcopal bishop and interim dean of Washington National Cathedral; and William Miller, a former U.S. ambassador who helped bring home many Americans during the 1979 Tehran hostage crisis.
“We said, ‘We hope the two boys would be released,’ and all he said was, ‘You should come to Tehran,’ ” McCarrick recalled. No date was set for the trip.
Read the full article here.
Weren't you ever young? Please stop blaming the victims, who from all accounts have a social conscience that is admirable.
This story is more about how religious leaders can come together for a cause - a rarity. We need more publicity about collaborative efforts like this.