Desmond Tutu continues to confront injustice and preach peace

By Dave Wanless, WACC-Africa region Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, who will give the opening address at WACC’s Congress 2008 on 6 October in Cape Town, is one of the moral icons of our era. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, he is currently serving as one of the group of respected ‘Elders’ which includes former presidents Jimmy Carter of the United States, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and Mary Robinson of Ireland along with Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela, and Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin group of companies. Their task is to mediate peace in situations of conflict around the world.   Tutu is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Anglican Archdiocese of Cape Town, having served as an Anglican priest for over forty years. He is a man of deep Christian spirituality, coupled with an unshakeable conviction that the dignity of all humans is grounded in their creation in the image of God. A man of prayer, he is forthright in his opinions and untiring in his desire to translate his Christian convictions into concrete actions for the welfare of others, especially the poor and oppressed.  Bishop Tutu first sprang to prominence in South Africa when, as Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg, he wrote an open letter to the then prime minister, John Vorster, warning him of the rising tide of black anger at their oppression by the apartheid government in general and the particular dissatisfaction of young people at the inferior ‘bantu’ education they were receiving. His warnings went unheeded and on June 16th 1976 the pupils of Soweto rose up in open defiance of the authorities. Many were killed by the police and hundreds more fled into exile.  Tutu was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Lesotho in 1976 but only served for a short time before accepting the position of General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches in 1978. In this office, he widened his contacts in the global ecumenical world who were in support of the struggle against apartheid, and was thrust into the forefront of the struggle of the major South African churches for a peaceful and just solution to the rising polarisation and brutality in the country. His task became even more demanding following the 1977 banning of the Christian Institute and its leaders, including Dr. Beyers Naude. In 1986, he was elected Primate of the Church of the Province of South Africa, in which office he intensified his principled opposition to the apartheid authorities, coupled with a ministry of prayer and practical support to his clergy and the poorest of South Africa’s people irrespective of faith, colour or creed.  He was not the most popular Anglican Archbishop for many white Anglicans but he was unswerving in his commitment to human rights, justice and peace. In 1996, he retired from the Archbishopric and was appointed by the new democratic South African government to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was charged with uncovering gross human rights violations by all parties in the struggle for liberation.  Although Tutu’s biography, written by his long time Press Officer John Allen, is titled ‘Rabble Rouser for Peace’ Desmond Tutu is a man of gentlemanly grace who is provoked to anger by injustice and who stands in the great oratorical tradition of preachers like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. WACC is indeed honoured and grateful that Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has consented to address the opening session of Congress 2008.  Further information about Congress is available at www.waccglobal.org/congress

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