Statement by President Michael D. Higgins on the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“It is with great sadness that people all over the world will have learned of the death today of Nobel Peace Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

With the passing of Desmond Tutu, the world has lost not only a great spiritual leader but a great advocate for an informed, sensitive and caring society, defined by compassion and kindness.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a man of profound wisdom and as of

a character that emphasised hope and possibility. Drawing strength from his belief that forgiveness has the potential to free an individual from the confines of past hurt, his inspirational leadership was a source for what was life-changing, not only for South Africa, but for countless people throughout the world, giving a voice to those most in need.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be forever remembered for his work in drawing global attention to the horrific inequalities of Apartheid, a moral energy he communicated in those early statements issued in the most dangerous and difficult circumstances. That fullness was reflected in his continued emphasis on the power of love and compassion in post-Apartheid South Africa.

His death will be felt by all those in Ireland who made themselves part of the anti-Apartheid movement. Those Dunne Stores workers who took part in the strike against Apartheid in the 1980s, and to whom he often referred. Indeed, many who will have valued Archbishop Tutu’s support for the strikes will in particular recall his meeting with striking workers Karen Gearon and Mary Manning, along with union official Brendan Archbold at a stopover in London on his way to receiving the Nobel Prize in 1984.

On the recent occasion of his 90th birthday I suggested that we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Desmond Tutu who, through love, empathy and forgiveness has renewed again and again the joyful possibilities of our world, reminding us of all that can be achieved if we place a profound spirit of shared humanity at the centre of our policies, our actions and our aspirations. For all of this search and celebration of hope he was and remains a talismanic figure, a courageous practitioner of peaceful activism. He never held back or counted the cost. He leaves an extraordinary legacy in human rights activism of the best kind for South Africa and for the world.

On behalf of the Irish people, I extend my sympathies to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, to Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s family, many friends and colleagues, and the millions in the world who mourn him today.”