« What lies ahead now that our father has passed? These words, spoken by Desmond Tutu at Nelson Mandela‘s memorial service on December 6, 2013, echoed globally. This poignant phrase took on profound resonance during the January 1, 2022 Requiem Mass for Archbishop Tutu, held within Cape Town’s Anglican Cathedral—the very place where he vehemently denounced the apartheid regime. “Madiba [Nelson Mandela’s clan name] was the father of our democracy; Archbishop Tutu, his spiritual father,” President Cyril Ramaphosa eloquently stated, underscoring the unbreakable bond between the two titans. Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, who passed away on December 26, 2021 at age 90, garnered the reverence and affection of countless South Africans and people worldwide.
Early commitments
Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on October 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, Transvaal, into humble circumstances. His father was a schoolteacher; his mother, a cleaner and cook at a school for the visually impaired. Young Desmond harbored aspirations of becoming a physician—a dream then beyond his reach. He subsequently followed in his father’s footsteps, commencing his career as an English and history instructor at Madibane High School in Soweto and later at Krugersdorp High School, west of Johannesburg, where his father served as principal. He unexpectedly abandoned teaching after the 1953 enactment of the Bantu Education Act, which mandated racial segregation in all educational institutions. Before embracing a vocation in the Church as a sub-deacon, he married Nomalizo Leah Shenxane in a Roman Catholic ceremony, despite his Anglican faith.
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A theological perspective
Ordained a deacon at Johannesburg’s Saint Mary’s Cathedral in 1960, he became its first Black dean in 1975, during which time he encountered Nelson Mandela in his academic pursuits. In 1966, he earned a master’s degree in theology in London, experiencing a society free from racial discrimination. Upon his return to South Africa, he taught theology in Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland, as well as across the continent as associate director for Africa at the Theological Education Fund. His overseas experiences broadened his knowledge, particularly in Black theology—a movement that addressed the intersection of Christianity and civil rights, shaping his approach to the fight against apartheid.
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The Bishop joins the struggle
A pivotal moment reshaped his life: the 1977 assassination of Stephen Bantu Biko, known as “Steve Biko.” Born in 1946 in impoverished King William’s Town, South Africa, Biko quickly became involved in politics, advocating for a political philosophy focused on Black pride. He founded the Black Consciousness Movement, actively opposing apartheid—a system enforcing
Echoing the pronouncements of Daniël Malan, the National Party’s leader during its 1948 ascendancy, a discriminatory system faced vocal condemnation from Steve Biko, a champion of Black self-liberation. In 1976, he spearheaded a series of demonstrations in Soweto, a deprived township just outside Johannesburg. Their objective? To vehemently oppose the imposition of Afrikaans as the mandated language of instruction. Afrikaans, the tongue of the white settler regime and its apartheid ideology, became the target of these protests. The Soweto demonstrations rapidly escalated into violent uprisings, resulting in numerous student fatalities. The government responded with brutal force, apprehending and incarcerating members of Black political organizations, including Biko’s. Biko’s own arrest occurred in mid-August 1977, and he perished in prison on September 12, 1977, at the age of 30; officially attributed to a hunger strike, an autopsy revealed severe head trauma. His demise sparked widespread outrage globally, prompting the UN Security Council to condemn the South African government through an arms embargo.
During Biko’s funeral, Desmond Tutu delivered the eulogy, paying tribute to the fallen activist. This marked the commencement of Tutu’s unwavering battle against apartheid, a system he termed the “most insidious regime since Nazism,” a “malevolent creation.”
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The theologian of Ubuntu
Following this tragedy, Tutu actively participated in clandestine gatherings of the Black Consciousness Movement, embracing “black theology”—a fusion of theological principles and the pursuit of Black liberation. Concurrently, Tutu developed a keen interest in Latin American liberation theology, a Marxist-inspired movement dedicated to empowering the impoverished and marginalized. This theological framework acknowledges power imbalances and advocates for a transition from oppressive structures to egalitarian systems. Tutu’s reflections centered on Ubuntu philosophy, emphasizing reconciliation and peace. In his work, Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology, he articulates that: “An individual embodying ubuntu is receptive and approachable […] possessing self-worth derived from belonging to something greater. Their sense of self diminishes when others undergo debasement or oppression.”
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The conscience of South Africa
Archbishop Desmond Tutu stands as one of history’s most prominent human rights advocates. He commanded widespread respect and attention within religious circles, disseminating messages of peace: “Our freedom is inevitable; neither police bullets, nor canines, nor tear gas, nor death itself will deter us. Nothing can stop us, for God is with us.”
In 1984, his contributions to resolving the apartheid crisis earned him the Nobel Peace Prize at the University of Oslo. His trajectory of peacemaking continued. Two years post-Nobel, he assumed the position of Archbishop of Cape Town, becoming the first Black individual to hold this office. He publicly denounced the “pass” system, which effectively classified Black South Africans as foreigners in their own nation. He passionately advocated for integrated schools, steadfastly working towards the dismantlement of apartheid, which had endured since 1948.
The year 1994 marked a pivotal moment in South Africa’s history with its first multiracial elections. Nelson Mandela, released from imprisonment
A globally recognized champion of peace, he joined the UN’s High Council for the Alliance of Civilizations in 2005.
During the 2009 elections, he declined to endorse Jacob Zuma, openly criticizing the ANC’s—Mandela’s movement—internal conflicts and alleged corruption, despite Zuma’s poll popularity.
Though he withdrew from politics in 2010, his advocacy for peace persevered. He condemned homophobia, urged black officials to relinquish opulent vehicles, denounced arms sales policies, and proposed a levy on those who profited from apartheid. He also challenged established religious tenets, advocating for the right of terminally ill individuals to choose their time of passing.
His global activism included opposition to Robert Mugabe’s authoritarian rule in Zimbabwe and its human rights abuses. He criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and the Bush administration’s Iraq strategy. In Asia, he championed UN intervention in Burma’s Rohingya crisis. To combat climate change, he urged a boycott of fossil fuel corporations.
Since the news of his passing, tributes and expressions of sympathy have flooded in from around the globe. For his memorial service, he selected a passage from the Gospel of John, where Jesus addresses his disciples at their last supper—a testament to his enduring message of love: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
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