Week of mourning begins for revered apartheid foe
The bells of St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town rang out Monday as South Africans began a week of mourning for Desmond Tutu, the first Black archbishop of Cape Town, who died Sunday at 90.
The cleric was one of the most powerful forces in the anti-apartheid movement and remained a voice of moral conscience in the decades after the system of institutionalized segregation crumbled in South Africa. His death was met with an outpouring of tributes in South Africa and from around the world.
The bells of Tutu’s former church will toll for 10 minutes at noon every day this week, until his funeral Mass on Saturday at the same cathedral. The service will be limited to 100 people because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The archbishop’s remains will be cremated, and his ashes interred at St. George’s Cathedral, church leaders said. As the first Black archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, and leader of the Anglican Church in South Africa, Tutu celebrated Mass at the same cathedral.
Until his funeral, flags across the country will fly at half-staff, South Africa’s president said. Table Mountain, a Cape Town landmark, will be lit up in purple, reminiscent of the purple robe that Tutu wore as leader of the Anglican Church in South Africa.
In accordance with Tutu’s wishes, the church will take the lead in planning events surrounding his funeral. Throughout the week, several churches across South Africa and in neighboring countries will host memorial services, both Christian and interfaith, in his honor.
The Nobel laureate will lie in state at St. George’s Cathedral on Friday, where members of the public will be allowed to pay their respects. The public viewing will be regulated by social distancing rules, in addition to the limited attendance at the funeral Mass.