Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus, was ordained to the priesthood in 1961 and consecrated as Bishop of Lesotho in 1975. In the wake of the 1976 Soweto uprising, Bishop Tutu was persuaded to take up the post of General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, a position that established him as a national and international figure in his resistance to apartheid within the country and in mobilizing the international community towards imposing sanctions against the apartheid Government.

His crusade for justice and racial conciliation in South Africa and his extraordinary courage in this cause earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. He was enthroned as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986 and in this role was equally vigorous in his call for a transition to democracy in South Africa.

After the end of apartheid and the establishment of a democratic South Africa, Archbishop Tutu was appointed by President Nelson Mandela as Chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In laying bare apartheid- era crimes the Commission was to be an instrument of reconciliation and forgiveness. The role played by the Archbishop ensured that it became an international example of conflict resolution and a trusted method of post conflict reconstruction.

Archbishop Tutu has held several distinguished academic and world leadership posts and continues to pursue an active international ministry for peace. He has received numerous prizes and awards, and holds honorary degrees from many prestigious universities both in South Africa and overseas.

He has now retired to pursue a less active life but continues to be an icon of hope far beyond the Church and Southern Africa. He remains active in the quest for peace and dignity for all as Chairman of the Elders, a group of world leaders who play a major role in reconciliation and moral leadership.