The former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, Desmond Tutu, is this year’s recipient of the Templeton Prize, given to those who “affirm life’s spiritual dimension.” It comes with the world’s largest annual award: $1.7 million. Tutu was chosen for his work “advancing spiritual practices such as love and forgiveness.” Tutu was an outspoken critic of racial apartheid and later chaired South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In a 2010 interview on this program, Tutu said he has never called himself an optimist:

Desmond Tutu: “I’m a prisoner of hope, which is a different kettle of fish. Optimism is too light.”