National Cathedral to honor Desmond Tutu for advancement in religious understanding, action

May 30, 2007 [Episcopal News Service] South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be the inaugural recipient of a Washington National Cathedral award acknowledging individual efforts in unifying people across the religious spectrum.

Officially named "The Cathedral Prize for Advancement in Religious Understanding and Action," the award will be presented to Tutu by Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III at a gala centennial dinner on November 9, 2007.

"Archbishop Tutu's concern for human dignity, his courage in promoting justice and equality, and his example of how a nation can embrace the biblical call to forgiveness, has won admiration worldwide," said Lloyd. "In these divided times, we need role models who demonstrate for us the necessity and value of reconciliation in every aspect of human life. His leadership of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission provides a rare example of Christian leadership in the civic realm."

In 1984, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Two years later, he was elected Archbishop of Cape Town and was the first black African to serve in this position which placed him at the head of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa. Tutu is also a recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism and the Gandhi Peace Prize. He is committed to stopping global AIDS.

The award was created as part of Washington National Cathedral's year-long centennial celebration, which begins on the anniversary of the laying of its foundation stone, September 29, 2007. Further information on the Cathedral Centennial is available here.

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