[Magdalen] ++ Desmond Tutu
Zephonites at aol.com
Zephonites at aol.com
Fri Apr 10 15:44:20 UTC 2015
Jim
May I let ++ Desmond Tutu speak on this matter. What an example to us all
Blessings
Martin
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Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who led South Africa’s Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, says the release from prison of notorious apartheid
security police killer Eugene de Kock represents a milestone on South Africa’s
road to reconciliation and healing.
“I pray that those whom he hurt, those from whom he took loved ones, will
find the power within them to forgive him. Forgiving is empowering for the
forgiver and the forgiven – and for all the people around them. But we can’
t be glib about it; it’s not easy,” Archbishop Tutu said.
De Kock commanded the security police death squad based at Vlakplaas. He
was sentenced in 1996 to more than 200 years in prison for crimes ranging
from fraud to assault, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, culpable
homicide and murder.
“He committed hideous crimes on behalf of his political and security force
masters. His arrest in 1994, and subsequent conviction, created the
impression that the perpetrators of apartheid era crimes would be held
accountable.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 1996 as a
societal balm to begin the process of healing South Africa’s wounded soul.
Platforms were created for victims of apartheid-era violence to address the
nation, and for perpetrators to apply for amnesty in qualifying cases, provided
they were found to have been truthful.
“But none of the security force members identified as perpetrators of
human rights violations, none who were denied amnesty, and none who managed to
avoid the TRC process altogether, were prosecuted. There was no follow
through.
“The fact that De Kock was to a large extent left to carry the load of
apartheid security force evil on his own does not diminish his culpability.
That fact is an indictment on our government.
“De Kock deserves to be released on the basis that he has served a
relatively lengthy term of imprisonment, he has apologised to and sought the
forgiveness of many of his victims, and he has for some time given all the
appearance (from what we have seen) of being ready for rehabilitation.
“As human beings we have unique capacities to reconcile, to forgive, to
move on and to love again. While many may not welcome De Kock back into
society with open arms, the fact that we have allowed for his return is to our
collective credit, as people and as a nation.”
Commenting on the failed application for medical parole by Clive
Derby-Lewis, the former Conservative Party leader serving a life sentence for the
1993 assassination of South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani,
Archbishop Tutu described as “disappointing” reports that Derby-Lewis had shown
no remorse.
“Provided Derby-Lewis qualifies for medical parole, however, there is no
question that he should be released. We must guard against creating the
impression that there is one set of rules applicable to some people, and another
set of rules applicable to others. I loved Chris Hani very much and I
believe he would have supported Derby-Lewis’ medical parole because he was
deeply committed to the path of reconciliation.”
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In a message dated 10/04/2015 02:12:29 GMT Daylight Time,
jguthrie at pipeline.com writes:
Sally,
Speaking of forgiveness, I've been following the de Cock story from South
Africa
a bit.
Any opinion or discussion going on in your circles?
Cheers,
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: Lynn Ronkainen
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2015 8:11 PM
To: FCBasle at aol.com ; magdalen at herberthouse.org
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] ++ Desmond Tutu
Martin, thanks for including part of your article. I really enjoyed reading
again, +Tutu's words on forgiveness.
peace,
lynn
My email has changed to: houstonKLR at gmail.com
website: www.ichthysdesigns.com
When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not
a
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me."
attributed to Erma Bombeck
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Revd Martin Dale via Magdalen" <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2015 6:07 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] ++ Desmond Tutu
>
> Sally
>
> Do you know what I really respect of ++Desmond Tutu was when he stepped
> down as ++ of Cape Town to become Chairman of the Truth and
Reconciliation
> Commission. His theology is far to liberal for me, but what he has done
as a
> Christian for the nation of South Africa puts him on the level of Nelson
> Mandela as a statesman - in my opinion.
>
> Funny you mention him because I have just written about him in one of
the
> two East Marshland Benefice parish mags for May 2015.
>
> May I just copy you in on a part of what I wrote in our parish mag today
>
> Blessings
> Martin
>
>
> <One of the most remarkable events in recent years was the setting up of
> the Truth and Reconciliation Council in South Africa after the historic
poll
> on April 27, 1994, which brought Nelson Mandela to power.
> It was almost universally predicted that there would be serious
> blood-letting when the black-led government took control. A fearful
orgy of
> revenge
> and retribution against the whites was predicted.
> After all, hadn’t that sort of thing happened in the Nuremburg Trials in
> 1946 at the end of the Second World War when the top Nazi’s were tried
and
> executed? Surely this would be a time for justice and retribution.
> Well, that prediction was not fulfilled. But instead of revenge and
> retribution, the new nation of South Africa chose to tread the
difficult path
> of
> confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
> The new South African Government under Nelson Mandela decided to set up
of
> the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with the remit that they would
> give an amnesty to the perpetrators of some of the most gruesome
atrocities
> in exchange for a full disclosure of the facts of the offence.
> I was not a great fan of the Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu until he
took
> up the position of Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
in
> South Africa and relinquished his position as Archbishop of Cape Town.
> Why did he do that?
> Let me let the Archbishop speak for himself. Archbishop Desmond Tutu
> wrote:
> “To forgive is not just to be altruistic. It is the best form of
> self-interest. It is also a process that does not exclude hatred and
anger.
> These
> emotions are all part of being human. You should never hate yourself for
> hating others who do terrible things: the depth of your love is shown by
the
> extent of your anger.
> However, when I talk of forgiveness I mean the belief that you can come
> out the other side a better person. A better person than the one being
> consumed by anger and hatred. Remaining in that state locks you in a
state of
> victimhood, making you almost dependent on the perpetrator.
> If you can find it in yourself to forgive then you are no longer chained
> to the perpetrator. You can move on, and you can even help the
perpetrator to
> become a better person too.
> But the process of forgiveness also requires acknowledgement on the part
> of the perpetrator that they have committed an offence.“ >
>
>
>
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> In a message dated 09/04/2015 19:41:27 GMT Daylight Time,
> sally.davies at gmail.com writes:
>
> It sounds a lot like the horror that ran through "white" parishes in
South
> Africa, back in the day when a certain Bishop Desmond Tutu of
Johannesburg
> was appointed Archbishop of Cape Town.
>
> Stories did the round about his family making a fire in the middle of
the
> floor at Bishopscourt, a la traditional African hut.
>
> It affected him not one whit but I think there must have been strain on
the
> younger family members.
>
> When our very popular priest Rob was transferred to a school chaplain
job
> at the end of 2012, a few people tried to start the story that this was
> some kind of anti-St John's conspiracy by the Bishop. It didn't go far
> because there were too many level headed people, because Rob himself
nailed
> it by making it clear that he knew this was God's calling for him, and
by
> our wonderful assistant priest Angela (now about to retire herself) who
> held things together with tremendous grace during the inter-regnum.
>
> Sally D
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