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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Chelsea Ritschel

Bishop Michael Curry encourages people to pray for Meghan and Harry and urges forgiveness after Oprah interview

Photograph: Getty

Bishop Michael Curry has invited people to pray for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle while reflecting on the couple’s wide-ranging interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Curry, who gave a sermon at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal wedding in 2018, was asked about his thoughts on the interview, in which Meghan revealed that concerns were raised over her then-unborn child’s skin colour during her time as a working member of the royal family.

In response to the question, asked during his appearance onToday, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the US said that he encourages forgiveness and for everyone to remember that “they’re all people” and deserve to be “cut some slack”.

“Where I finally landed was, I said to somebody, remember, everybody involved in this, they’re all people,” the bishop said. “And you know what, we need to cut everybody some slack as they say on the streets and give them a break.”

The 68-year-old, who is the first African American to serve as presiding bishop in the Episcopal Church, also spoke of the power of prayer in finding a way to heal past wounds and forgive, while encouraging people to pray for the couple and their family.

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“And you know what, I invite everybody to pray for the two of them, pray for their family, pray for the UK, pray for us all that we find a way to deal with past harms, to heal, to forgive, to reconcile,” he continued.

The bishop has previously spoken of the power of the couple’s love, describing it as strong enough to bring two countries and “people of different political persuasions, people of different sexual orientations, people of different classes, people of different races, people of different nations” together.

And while he revealed in an interview with People last year that he is no longer in contact with the duke and duchess, he said that he continues to pray for the couple.

At the time, Curry also expressed his support for Meghan’s advocacy and her ability to “lift up people,” telling the outlet: “We need help. We need healing. She does that. She’s lifting up women and we need somebody to lift up women, lift up people. Lift up people of all colours. The truth is, a rising tide raises all ships.”

In addition to claims of racism, the bombshell interview with Winfrey, which was watched by millions of people worldwide, also saw the duke and duchess speak candidly about mental health struggles and the lack of support they felt they experienced as senior members of the royal family.

The couple, who are currently expecting their second child, are reportedly planning to take some time off when their daughter is born, with a source telling Vanity Fair: “It will be the summer and they want to make sure they both take their leave so they have some real quality time together once the baby arrives.”

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