Who is Bishop Michael Curry? Everything we know about the bishop who stole the show at the royal wedding
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to invite Bishop Michael Curry for their royal wedding which was held on May 19. In a statement released on May 12, the palace had said that Michael Bruce Curry, the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, would be giving the address at the royal wedding.
Michael opened his speech with the words of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who said: "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love.
"And when we do that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way."
The bishop then added: "There's power in love. Don't underestimate it. Don't even over-sentimentalise. There is power, power in love."
Here's everything we know about the man who stole the show at the royal wedding:
#1 His family descended from slaves and sharecroppers
Bishop Michael Curry has been open about his life. In his autobiography, he noted that both sides of his family were descended from slaves and sharecroppers in North Carolina and Alabama. However, he did not let his past dictate his life. He attended public schools in Buffalo, New York and went on to study at The College of Preachers, Princeton Theological Seminary, Wake Forest University, the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore.
#2 He created history
He is the 27th and current presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. Elected in 2015, he is the first African American to serve in that capacity. Previously, he was bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.
#3 Breaking the royal trend
Michael, who is an American is breaking the royal tradition by being the first American pastor to play a role at the royal wedding. Traditionally, addresses at royal weddings are given by senior clergy from the Church of England and pastors who are British, seeing Michael play a role at the wedding will be a break from tradition.
#4 He is active on social media
Keeping up with the generation, Michael is quite active on social media. One can see him posting his thoughts and the things he believes in. At the same time, he helped people keep up with the news about the royal weddings and what can one see at the wedding.
#5 He has many honors degree
He received honorary degrees from the School of Theology-Sewanee, Virginia Theological Seminary, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, the Episcopal Divinity School, and Church Divinity School of the Pacific.
