A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life and Ministry of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday 27th February 2022 at 4.00pm.
Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996 – the first black African to hold either position.
Speaking at the time of Archbishop Tutu’s death, the Dean of Melbourne, the Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe, said
‘Desmond Tutu has been an icon of reconciliation and truth telling, and a tireless advocate for justice and equality in the fight against racism and homophobia. We mourn a great leader of the church and give thanks for his ministry”.
“Archbishop Tutu’s uncompromising stance that truth telling needs to take place before any meaningful reconciliation can take place is an important reminder for the work of truth telling in our own nation. I am grateful that in our state the Truth Telling Commission has commenced its work this year, and I hope that a federal Truth Telling Commission will follow suit”.
The Right Reverend Dino Gabriel, former Bishop of Zululand & Natal in the Province of Southern Africa and now resident in Australia, will preach at the service.
The service is being arranged in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Day Commemorative Committee and will be open for members of the public to attend.