Tutu remains interred amid call to rename Cape Town airport

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The remains of Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Anglican archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, were interred aboriginal Sunday during a backstage household work astatine the city’s Anglican cathedral.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba laid a tiny container containing Tutu’s remains to remainder successful the level successful beforehand of the precocious altar astatine St George’s Cathedral. Tutu’s widow, children and different household members attended the 30-minute service.

Makgoba suggested that to grant the precocious Nobel laureate, Cape Town’s airdrome should beryllium renamed Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu International Airport.

He called connected each South Africans to “turn a caller page” and perpetrate to “the radical, revolutionary change” that Tutu advocated.

“Let america unrecorded arsenic simply arsenic helium lived, exemplified by his conifer coffin with enactment handles,” Makgoba said successful his homily. “Let those of america who person resources propulsion successful our belts, that others tin devour capable to capable their stomachs. Let america reorder our nine to extremity inequality and make adjacent opportunities for all.”

The container with Tutu’s remains were placed nether a memorial chromatic inscribed with the words: Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Oct. 1931 – Dec. 2021, Archbishop of Cape Town 1986 - 1996.

The greeting work was underway arsenic a occurrence swept done South Africa’s adjacent Parliament building. A pall of fume aboriginal hung implicit the cathedral and the surrounding area.

A requiem Mass was held successful the cathedral for Tutu’s ceremonial connected Saturday. Church officials said Tutu’s assemblage was prepared for interment with h2o successful a process called aquamation.

Tutu requested the method due to the fact that it uses little vigor and is much environmentally friendly, religion officials told journalists.