11 notable Christian figures who died in 2021

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, December 27, 2021

Desmond Tutu – Dec. 26, 2021

South African Archbishop and Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu speaks during an interview with Reuters in New Delhi, India, February 8, 2012. | (Photo: Reuters/B Mathur)

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the prominent opponent of South Africa's Apartheid system who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, died at age 90.

According to a family statement, Tutu died peacefully at the Oasis Frail Care Centre in Cape Town, having battled cancer multiple times over the course of his life since the late 1990s.

In addition to fighting against the white supremacist rule of Apartheid South Africa, Tutu was also known for his support of the Pro-Palestinian movement and the LGBT movement.

"Archbishop Tutu was a prophet and priest, a man of words and action, one who embodied the hope and joy that were the foundations of his life," stated the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

"His vision and bravery were allied with a canny political sense and wisdom, enabling him to be a healer and apostle of peace while so many still saw wounds and war."