By Kirk Petersen
Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry has been suddenly hospitalized because of a recurring subdural hematoma, and underwent an unscheduled surgery the morning of January 6. The church Public Affairs Office announced later that the surgery was successful.
It is his second such surgery in slightly more than a month, and his fifth hospitalization for various reasons in the past year. He previously had surgery for yet another subdural hematoma in 2015. A subdural hematoma is a pooling of blood next to the brain.
Curry, 70, is in the closing months of his nine-year term as the spiritual and administrative leader of the Episcopal Church. His successor will be elected at General Convention in June, and the successor is scheduled to take office on November 1.
In the wake of the December operation TLC published a lengthy examination of Curry’s multiple major surgeries, including removal of his cancerous prostate in 2018, and removal of an adrenal gland and noncancerous mass in September 2023. He also was hospitalized briefly in May 2023 for internal bleeding, and experienced episodes of irregular heartbeat.
The December article also described the canonical implications of a potential vacancy in the office of presiding bishop.
At the time the January 6 announcement was made, the staff of The Living Church was attending a two-day team-building retreat in Maitland, Florida. The Rev. Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver, executive director and publisher of the Living Church Foundation, led the group in praying for Curry’s recovery.
Kirk Petersen began reporting news for TLC as a freelancer in 2016, and was Associate Editor from 2019 to 2024, focusing especially on matters of governance in the Episcopal Church.
