As South Africans continue to mourn the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, it has been announced that he will lie in state at St George’s Cathedral from Thursday, instead of the previously announced Friday.
The adjustment has been made in order to give mourners more time to visit St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town to pay their respects and personal tributes to the Arch with viewing allowed from 9am until 5pm on both days, reports News24.
This will be a simple affair as Tutu provided strict instructions on avoiding lavish spending.
“The Archbishop was very clear on his wishes for his funeral. He wanted no ostentatiousness or lavish spending. He asked that the coffin be the cheapest available and that a bouquet of carnations from his family be the only flowers in the cathedral,” a statement by The Archbishop Tutu IP Trust and the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation read.
Along with this, mourners are urged to donate to Tutu’s foundations instead of sending flowers, reports IOL.
“The Tutu family would once again like to express its profound gratitude to all across the world who have sent condolences this week – and to the state for its magnificent support. This deluge of love serves to compensate, to some extent, for Covid regulations restricting the size of gatherings and the nature of the send-off our beloved Arch so richly deserves,” the statement read.
Tutu will be cremated privately, and his ashes interred in the cathedral.
Read More:
Picture: Twitter