Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu, known for advocating racial equality especially against Black oppression, died on Sunday at the age of 90.
World News Group reported that Tutu was the first black bishop of Johannesburg, which is the largest South African city and called "The City of Gold." Tutu then became the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, during which he worked to end apartheid.
Accordingly, Tutu worked nonviolently to end the decades-long oppression against the Black majority in South Africa. His efforts was then acknowledged in the international sphere when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. South African former President Nelson Mandela, who took seat in 1994, appointed Tutu to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as its Chairman. The post enabled Tutu to uncover the apartheid system's abuses.
Tutu's passing was lamented by many world leaders such as Pope Francis who sent a letter to Tutu's family where he called upon "the divine blessings of peace and consolation of the Lord" to those who mourn the archbishop's passing. Another is Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who commended his beliefs for freedom and human dignity.
"Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the spiritual leader of the anti-apartheid movement. He believed in human dignity & the power of freedom to create a new nation. His deep faith was his powerhouse that made the world a better place. Thank you and 'well done good and faithful servant'," Morrison said in Twitter on Monday.
While former President Barack Obama called him a "moral compass" out of his constant fight for justice wherever in the world.
"Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a mentor, a friend, and a moral compass for me and so many others. A universal spirit, Archbishop Tutu was grounded in the struggle for liberation and justice in his own country, but also concerned with injustice everywhere," Obama tweeted on Sunday.
President Joe Biden also expressed his respects for the late Anglican archbishop, stating the "great loss" that it is.
"Today, we are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a true servant of God and of the people, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. We send our deepest condolences to the people of South Africa who are mourning this great loss," Biden said in Twitter.
Prior to his passing, Tutu and his wife, Leah, created the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust that aims to act "as the guardian, repository and custodian of intellectual property and intellectual property rights associated" with them. It aims to become a "global one-stop multimedia archive of materials and artifacts relating to the Founders."
"When complete, the collection will be an invaluable resource for scholarly pursuit and for the maintenance of the Archbishop's wisdom in public thought, for posterity," the statement announcing the Trust said on December 9.
The announcement of the creation of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust was the last post made by Tutu in his Twitter account.
Prior to the last tweet, Tutu said on November 23 that the pandemic is a "critical time" that prompts one to act for the future of the children. He then urged the public to join the UNICEF Child Youth Forum that was held in Sweden this month. The UNICEF Child Youth Forum aims to "find child-centered solutions to global crises" such as the "escalating climate crisis."
"We are at a critical moment in history, one that could, if we seize it, propel us into the better future that adults have promised children and young people," Tutu said.
