One of the truly inspiring men of the last century turns 79 this week and steps down from public life in order to spend some time with his family. Actually he is going to take his wife round the world.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is surely a great man. His bravery fighting against the apartheid regime in South Africa is legendary; as legendary as his giggle.
I don’t think I will ever forget seeing him vote in 1994 in the first elections in the liberated South Africa: the first time he had ever voted in his life. It was a joy to see the enthusiasm and excitement of this then 62 year old man doing what all of us had been entitled to do since we were 18, and he, intelligent and educated man though he was, had been barred from doing, because of the colour of his skin.
His sense of humour must have sustained him through the hard years of being a second class citizen.
One of the little tales he tells goes like this:
"When the missionaries came they had the Bible and we had the land. And they said 'Close your eyes and let us pray.' And we dutifully did so, but when we said 'Amen' and opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land."
I hope he has a wonderful holiday, and then comes back to spread his infectious enthusiasm for life a little bit more.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is surely a great man. His bravery fighting against the apartheid regime in South Africa is legendary; as legendary as his giggle.
I don’t think I will ever forget seeing him vote in 1994 in the first elections in the liberated South Africa: the first time he had ever voted in his life. It was a joy to see the enthusiasm and excitement of this then 62 year old man doing what all of us had been entitled to do since we were 18, and he, intelligent and educated man though he was, had been barred from doing, because of the colour of his skin.
His sense of humour must have sustained him through the hard years of being a second class citizen.
One of the little tales he tells goes like this:
"When the missionaries came they had the Bible and we had the land. And they said 'Close your eyes and let us pray.' And we dutifully did so, but when we said 'Amen' and opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land."
I hope he has a wonderful holiday, and then comes back to spread his infectious enthusiasm for life a little bit more.
The replacement better not be a woman, just one liberal, hippy reformist crap and this anglo-catholic defects to the Catholic Ordinariate!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's Africa Dean. I doubt if it will be a woman.
ReplyDeleteWell good luck to him an inspirational figure, shame we have so few on this island!
ReplyDeleteWhen the English came they had the Bible and we had the Oil and the land. And they said 'Close your eyes and let us pray.' And we dutifully did so, but when we said 'Amen' and opened them, we had the Bible and they had the Oil and the land.
ReplyDeleteand and said we were the greedy bastards!
Yep Munguin...a man of vision. South Africa was blessed with him and Mandela.
ReplyDeleteWho are you on about Niko?
ReplyDeleteTrouble is we've done that in so many places...sometimes it was oil.... sometimes it was other minerals.... There was always something we wanted, and took.