Mr Tutu died Sunday at the Oasis Frail Care Center in Cape Town, South Africa.
Tributes have begun to pour in for the late Desmond Tutu who passed away Sunday morning in Cape Town.
Mr Tutu died at the Oasis Frail Care Center in Cape Town, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Trust said in a statement Sunday.
He had been hospitalized several times since 2015, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997.
“Typically he turned his own misfortune into a teaching opportunity to raise awareness and reduce the suffering of others,” the Tutu Trust said in the statement. “He wanted the world to know that he had prostate cancer, and that the sooner it is detected the better the chance of managing it.”
Mr Tutu was known for his intolerance towards bad governance and inhuman treatment.
He was very prominent for his role in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and his usage of the pulpit to speak truth to power.
After his demise, many world leaders, as well as award-winning journalist Maria Ressa, paid tribute to his memory.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.”
“He was a critical figure in the fight against apartheid and in the struggle to create a new South Africa – and will be remembered for his spiritual leadership and irrepressible good humour,” he wrote.
Nobel prize laureate Maria Ressa tweeted, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality, Desmond Tutu #RIP.”
The President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, noted that “influenced by Gandhiji, he brought spiritual values to the anti-apartheid struggle and upheld noblest ideals of humanity.”
Extending condolences to Mr Tutu’s followers in South Africa and around the world, Mr Bhavan said Mr Tutu’s life will inspire generations.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Mr Tutu as a guiding light for countless people globally.
“His emphasis on human dignity and equality will be forever remembered. I am deeply saddened by his demise and extend my heartfelt condolences to all his admirers. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
Also, Amnesty International South Africa said, “Arch Bishop #DesmondTutu was a beacon of light for the human rights movement in SA and globally. His commitment to equality and rights for all served as a much-needed moral compass during the turbulent apartheid era and today. We send our condolences to his family. Rest in peace.”