European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday took to Twitter to pay tribute to the memory of Desmond Tutu, calling him “a giant who stood up against apartheid.”
It’s with sadness that I have learned of archbishop Tutu’s passing
A man who gave his life to freedom with a deep commitment to human dignity.
A giant who stood up against apartheid.
You will be deeply missed.
My sympathies to his family, the people of ?? and @CyrilRamaphosa
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) December 26, 2021
Archbishop Desmond Tutu died on Sunday aged 90. In Cape Town, a prayer was held at St George’s Cathedral, the former parish of Desmond Tutu, Belga news agency reports.
“We mourn his passing,” Cape Town’s Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said. “He feared no one (…) He challenged systems that demeaned humanity.” But “when the perpetrators of evil experienced a real change of heart, he followed the example of his Lord and was ready to forgive.”
The Mandela Foundation described his loss as “immeasurable”. “He was larger than life, and for so many people in South Africa and around the world, his life was a blessing (…) He was an extraordinary human being. A thinker. A leader. A shepherd.”
