Baltimore Religious Leaders Seek Unity & Healing

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Pastor partnership. Months after the Freddie Gray unrest, two of Baltimore's most influential religious leaders continue their push to bring peace and healing to the city.

As Gigi Barnett explains, an invitation to church this weekend made history.

The Sunday service at Bethel AME Church began with a friendly meet-and-greet. There was one new face in the crowd: Catholic Archbishop William Lori. The invitation was a special one; it's at the heart of an ongoing plan to bring healing to Baltimore after the Freddie Gray riots.

"If we're going to rebuild our city, it's going to take all of us," said Rev. Frank Reid III, Bethel AME Church. "Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, non-believers."

Shortly after the unrest back in April, religious leaders across the city formed a coalition to address the tension in Baltimore. Bethel AME's Pastor, Rev. Frank Reid III, says those bonds created back then need to stay strong now, especially since the race for mayor is heating up.

"We thought that now was a good time for us to send this message of unity so that come 2016, people would see that One Baltimore was not just a political movement, but a spiritual movement," Reid said.

In the church's 140-year history, this is the first time a Catholic archbishop has ever been invited to speak.

"It's so important that we find a way forward," said Archbishop Lori. "If you have a partnership, then you can do unlimited things. I'm hoping that this will be a sign of building on a pre-existing friendship."

Archbishop Lori says attending the service again one day is indeed a possibility.

"I'd love to be able to look at what we're all doing and see how we can all bring it together for the sake of the people living in the community," he said.

Lori is Baltimore's 16th archbishop.