NewStats: 3,263,272 , 8,179,618 topics. Date: Thursday, 05 June 2025 at 10:44 AM 3a5j48

South Africa's spiritual father Archbishop Desmond Tutu, hero of the anti-apartheid struggle, was laid to rest at dawn on Sunday (Jan 2) in the Cape Town cathedral where he once preached against the brutal white-minority regime.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Tutu died a week ago, aged 90, after a life spent fighting injustice.

His ashes were "interred at St George's Cathedral in a private family service early today", an Anglican Church statement said.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba placed his remains under an inscribed memorial stone before the high altar.

He urged South Africans to "use this opportunity to turn a new page".

"Let us commit ourselves... to the radical, the revolutionary change that he advocated," Makgoba said.

"Let us live as simply as he lived, exemplified by his pine coffin with rope handles."

Some 20 of Tutu's family, led by his widow "Mama Leah" were present.

Famed for his modesty, Tutu had left instructions for a simple, no-frills funeral with a cheap coffin, followed by an eco-friendly flameless cremation (aquamation).

Family, friends, clergy and politicians had attended a requiem mass on Saturday with President Cyril Ramaphosa leading the tributes.

"Our departed father was a crusader in the struggle for freedom, for justice, for equality and for peace, not just in South Africa... but around the world as well," said Ramaphosa.

"While our beloved (Nelson Mandela) was the father of our democracy, Archbishop Tutu was the spiritual father of our new nation", lauding him as "our moral com and national conscience".

https://www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/pics-this-is-where-archbishop-desmond-tutus-ashes-are-buried-in-st-georges-cathedral-20220102

may his soul rest in peace

Desmond Tutu my Man. RIP freedom fighter.

[img]https://media1./images/3bfdc594138a31437ffe0e0258548c06/tenor.gif?itemid=20828015[/img]

See pictures of the official State Funeral here (New Year's Day):

https://nairaland.unblockandhide.com/6918902/pictures-archbishop-desmond-tutu-laid

I am gradually taking likings for cremation ooo,(see the small space the ash will be finally interred) but in Nigeria it's still being frowned at, like saying, how do you burn a corpse making it through fire in death while it went through the same fire in the country while alive?


RIP Bishop.

Should have been dug deeper..with better reinforcement..


RIP Reverend Tutu..

So he was cremated

From frying pan.....

Rest well....The Arch

Rest on

rest in peace.

I thought he asked that he be aquamated. why cremate his body against his wish or am i missing out on something.

Putindbutt:
I thought he asked that he be aquamated. why cremate his body against his wish or am i missing out on something.

Same thing - just different processes. Aquamation is eco-friendly.

https://nairaland.unblockandhide.com/6918575/desmond-tutu-body-south-african

The Arch's daughter Reverend Nontombi Naomi Tutu gave a moving tribute to her father at the funeral service.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZUlRsufDIA

mightyhaze:

Should have been dug deeper..with better reinforcement..

RIP Reverend Tutu..

I guess the cathedral is a safe space.

TMKsouth:

Same thing - just different processes. Aquamation is eco-friendly.
https://nairaland.unblockandhide.com/6918575/desmond-tutu-body-south-african

One involves burning, the other is not.

This man is one of those that sacrificed so much for south Africa. If not for his likes, the the useless blacks in south Africa who fight their fellow African black brothers in their country would have still be in total bondage of the white till date.

Anigreat:


This man is one of those that sacrificed so much for south Africa. If not for his likes, the the useless blacks in south Africa who fight their fellow African black brothers in their country would have still be in total bondage of the white till date .

LOL, I thought u said it's Nigerians that freed the "useless blacks".

I never knew Christians practice cremation. I can't imagine holding someone's ashes in my hands.

When I'm full of life and no more, I prefer being turned into diamonds.

Ik

This is truly eco friendly.....

Is that all the ash?

Bring me the rest and I can extract his DNA and create his copy in my simulation if apartheid occurs.

Was he cremated, as to turn into ashes rather than aquamated? But what if the will of the dead isn't obeyed, what will happen? I can't burn my loved one, its unafrican. Even if my loved one chooses to be cremated at death, I won't honor that instruction and nothing go happen