A mourner touches the coffin of Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu during his ceremonial astatine the St. George's Cathedral successful Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activistic for radical equality and LGBT rights died Sunday astatine the property of 90. (Nic Bothma/Pool via AP)

CAPE TOWN – A ceremonial work is underway successful Cape Town, South Africa, for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning equality activistic who was revered successful Africa for his relation successful ending apartheid.

“When we were successful the dark, helium brought light,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the caput of the worldwide Anglican church, said successful a video connection shown astatine a requiem Mass celebrated successful Tutu's grant Saturday astatine St. George's Cathedral.

“For maine to praise him is similar a rodent giving tribute to an elephant,” Welby said. “South Africa has fixed america bonzer examples of towering leaders of the rainbow federation with President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Tutu.... Many Nobel winners' lights person grown dimmer implicit time, but Archbishop Tutu's has grown brighter.”

Tutu's tiny plain conifer coffin, the cheapest disposable astatine his petition to debar immoderate ostentatious displays, was the halfway of the service, which besides is featuring African choirs, prayers and incense.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is to springiness the eulogy astatine the service.

Following the funeral, Tutu's casket is to beryllium taken distant for cremation and his ashes interred astatine the cathedral's columbarium.

Tutu died past Sunday astatine property 90.

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