Anglican Communion News Service

The Rt Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, Archbishop of Capetown and Metropolitan of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, was awarded the Doctor in Divinity, Honoris Causa, today at the Annual Academic Convocation of the Virginia Theological Seminary in Virginia. The Rt Revd Peter James Lee, Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia and Chairman of the Board of the Seminary, made the announcement.

A former political prisoner on Robben Island during Apartheid, Ndungane has been a visible influence in the struggle to end injustice, inadequate education, economic oppression, and violence, not only in South Africa but throughout the world. He has argued on behalf of the economic and humanitarian benefits of affordable AIDS medication and in support of restorative justice. Ndungane is one of the leading advocates for debt relief for impoverished nations.

From the citation, Bishop Lee read: "You have called people from around the world to join in the transformation of the world, to participate in the creative work of God. For, as you reminded your people at your enthronement, 'God is forever renewing the face of the earth; and therein lies the hope of the world.'"

Founded in 1823, Virginia Theological Seminary, located in Alexandria, Virginia, is the second oldest Episcopal seminary in the United States. The Seminary offers a comprehensive curriculum to prepare men and women for lay and ordained ministry.