Sir, – In whichever way Archbishop Desmond Tutu is being portrayed by the media, he was first and foremost a Christian leader.
He stood up against the corruption and errors of the former regime in South Africa and he also spoke out courageously against the corruption in the post-apartheid regimes. – Yours, etc,
JUDITH LEONARD,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
Sir, – The death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be met with sadness for all who knew him and those of us who followed his courageous defiance of apartheid in South Africa. He was first and foremost a man of vision but also one of deep religious faith who showed that forgiveness and reconciliation were the way forward.
He, along with another icon of that time, Nelson Mandela, had a vision for peace and one where equality and justice would be to the forefront of South Africa’s legacy. A Nobel prize winner, he campaigned for Palestinian statehood and opposed his own church’s opposition on LGBT rights. He was dismayed and disheartened at how ANC leaders were corrupted by power but was unwavering when it came to the service of others. With a determination to fight injustice wherever he saw it, he was a man of principle. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTY GALLIGAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.