Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 13—476 kuqhubeke—Ebumnyameni, Kwavela Okuthile “Okungcwele”

“Izono ezenziwa ebumnyameni zibonwa njengamakloba omlilo eZulwini”—Isaga samaShayina

NGOAPRIL 1988 ISonto eSoviet Union lajabula ukuzwa uNobhalaJikelele uMikhail Gorbachev ephawula obala ukuthi amaphutha enziwa uMbuso ebuhlotsheni bawo neSonto namalungu alo ayezolungiswa.

Kwabonakala sengathi kuzovela olunye uhlobo lokungezwani lapho upapa John Paul II wamaRoma Katolika ethumela imikhonzo “esontweni laseSoviet Union elineminyaka eyinkulungwane likhona njengesibonakaliso sesifiso esisuka ekujuleni kwenhliziyo sokufinyelela lobobunye obuphelele uKristu ayebufuna futhi obuyisisekelo esimweni seSonto.” Kodwa okokuqala nje, waba khona kanjani umhosha owehlukanisayo phakathi ‘kwesonto laseMpumalanga nelaseNtshonalanga?’

Ukulahleka Kobunye Obabungazange Bube Khona

Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka, ngemva kokuba ebe ngumbusi woMbuso wamaRoma, uConstantine Omkhulu wathutha inhlokodolobha yawo wayisusa eRoma wayisa edolobheni lamaGreki laseByzantium, elakhiwe ngasogwini lwaseBosporus. Lethiwa kabusha ngokuthi iConstantinople, futhi namuhla silazi ngokuthi iIstanbul, eTurkey. Ukuthutha kwakuklanyelwe ukuhlanganisa umbuso owawusongelwa ukuhlukana. Eqinisweni, ngasekupheleni kwengxenye yokugcina yekhulu lesibili leminyaka, “kungakhathaliseki indlela ezazifiphele ngayo, izimpawu zombuso ohlukene phakathi zase zikhona kakade,” kuphawula iNew Encyclopædia Britannica..

UbuKristu babusakazeke ngokushesha futhi kalula kakhulu engxenyeni engasempumalanga kunasengxenyeni yasentshonalanga. Ngakho uConstantine wabona amandla obunye enkolweni yomhlaba wonke (yobukatolika). Kodwa njengoba ngisho nombuso ngokuyinhloko wawuhlukene, kanjalo futhi nenkolo yawo. Isonto laseMpumalanga laligxile kakhulu ezimisweni zesonto eziyisiko kunalelo elaliseRoma, futhi lenqaba izimiso ezintsha zemfundiso yenkolo ezazinikezwa iRoma. ICollins Atlas of World History ithi: “Kusukela lapho kuze kube sekhulwini leshumi nambili leminyaka kwakukhona izimpikiswano eziningi ezingokombangazwe nezingokwemfundiso yenkolo phakathi kwawo womabili lamasonto.”

Enye yalezimpikiswano ezingokwemfundiso yenkolo yayihilela Isivumo Sokholo saseNicene, esaqhubekisela phambili ukumiswa kwemfundiso engeyona engokombhalo kaZiquzintathu. Simiswe imikhandlu emithathu emikhulu yokuqala yesonto (eNicaea ngo-325 C.E., eConstantinople ngo-381 C.E., e-Efesu ngo-431 C.E.), isivumo sokholo sakhuluma ‘ngoMoya Ongcwele . . . owavela kuBaba.’ Kodwa emkhandlwini ngekhulu lesithupha leminyaka, isonto laseNtshonalanga lashintsha umusho wafundeka ngokuthi “ovela kuYise neNdodana.” Lempikiswano yefilioque (igama lesiLatini elisho “nendodana”) yayiyisihloko futhi iseyiso, sempikiswano phakathi kwawo womabili lamasonto “obuKristu” amaKatolika.

Ukuntuleka kobunye kwaba sobala ngokwengeziwe lapho umbuso wasentshonalanga uphela ngo-476 C.E., uphawula ukuqalisa kweNkathi Yobumnyama. Ngokuphathelene nobuKristu, ngempela iNkathi Yobumnyama yayiyisikhathi sobumnyama obungokwengqondo nokungabi nalwazi. Ukukhanya kweqiniso lobuKristu kwakusibekelwe ubumnyama beLobukholwa okwesikhashana.

Ubumnyama obungokwenkolo abubuvezi ubunye. “Izingxenye ezihlukahlukene zezwe lobuKristu zazilokhu zifuna ngokuqhubekayo ubunye obungazange neze bufinyelelwe,” kusho owayenguMfundisi Omkhulu wokuqala waseCanterbury uHerbert Waddams. Uthi: “Kwakungeyona indaba yobunye obugcwele obanqanyulwa kamuva,” enezela ngokuthi “umbono wokuthi eLobukholwa lake laba iSonto elikhulu elilodwa elinobunye uyiphupho elicatshangelwayo.”

Kuzelwe “Umntwana”

“Umntwana” owayezelwe ngo-800 C.E. ngoSuku lukaKhisimusi wakhula wabizwa ngokuthi ungcwele. Kwakuwumbuso wasentshonalanga ovuselelwe kabusha owazalwa ngemva kokuba uPapa Leo III ehlukane nesonto laseMpumalanga futhi wamisa uCharlemagne njengenkosi, inkosi yamaFrank, umbusi. Ngemva kokuphazamiseka kwesikhashana, umbuso wasentshonalanga wavuswa kabusha ngo-962 C.E. futhi kamuva waziwa ngesiqu esikhohlisa kakhulu, esithi uMbuso Ongcwele WamaRoma.

Eqinisweni, igama elithi uMbuso WamaRoma kwakuyigama elingafanele. Ingxenye eyinhloko yendawo yawo, iJalimane lanamuhla, iAustria, iCzechoslovakia esentshonalanga, iSwitzerland, iFrance esempumalanga, namaZwe Asezansi, angaphandle kweItaly. Amazwe nababusi baseJalimane baba namandla, ngakho kamuva igama lawo elingokomthetho lashintshwa kwathiwa uMbuso Ongcwele WamaRoma Wesizwe SamaJalimane.

Umbuso wahlanganisa inkolo nezombangazwe. ICollier’s Encyclopedia ichaza ukuthi umbono ‘wawungukuthi kwakufanele kube nomholi oyedwa ongokwezombangazwe emhlabeni, esebenza ngobunye neSonto lomhlaba wonke, yilelo nalelo linendawo yalo negunya elivela kuNkulunkulu.’ Kodwa umngcele ohlukanisayo wawungacaci ngaso sonke isikhathi, ngakho uholela ezimpikiswaneni. Ikakhulukazi phakathi nenkathi ephakathi yekhulu le-11 leminyaka naphakathi kwekhulu le-13 leminyaka, iSonto noMbuso kwabanga ubuholi baseYurophu. Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi ukuzihilela kwenkolo kwezombangazwe kwakungenabugovu futhi kuvunyelwe umthetho, kodwa njengoba umlobi uWaddams evuma, “akukho kungabaza ngokuthi isifiso sikapapa sokubusa safeza ingxenye ebalulekile ekumisweni kombuso.”

Phakathi nekhulu leminyaka lokugcina nengxenye yokuba khona kwawo, umbuso wawohlokela engxubevangeni yezizwe ezingabumbene ngaphansi kokulawula okuxegayo kombusi ovamile. Phakathi nalenkathi yomlando wawo, afaneleke kahle amazwi omlobi ongumFulentshi uVoltaire, owathi ‘wawungengcwele, ungewona owaseRoma, ungewona futhi nombuso.’ Ekugcineni, ngo-1806, esempunga ngenxa yokukhula futhi engenakunconywa ngalutho ngokuba ngcwele, “umntwana ongcwele” wafa. Ngo-1817 wavuswa kabusha kuyiReich Yesibili (igama lesiJalimane elisho “umbuso”) kodwa wawa ngo-1918, eminyakeni engaphansi kwengama-50 kamuva. Futhi ngo-1933, uMbuso Wesithathu ka-Adolf Hitler waqala ukuviva ubheke eYurophu, kwaba ukuphela kwawo okudumazayo ngo-1945 ezincithakalweni zaseBerlin.

Amathonya ObuJalimane ENtshonalanga

Incwadi yezikhombo yaseJalimane iMeyers Illustrierte Weltgeschichte (Meyer’s Illustrated World History) isho “izinsika ezintathu Inkathi Ephakathi yeYurophu esekelwe phezu kwazo . . . ifa lomlando wemisebenzi yasendulo yesimo sangasekupheleni kwenkathi yamaRoma, ubuKristu, futhi ekugcineni amasiko ayeqhutshwa abantu abangamaJalimane bewathathe kokhokho babo.” Esekela lokhu, umlobi ongumJalimane uEmil Nack uthi: “Imikhosi emidala yaseJalimane eyayigujwa minyaka yonke ngokuvamile yayiqhutshekiselwa phambili ngendlela yamaholide obuKristu, njengoba isonto, ngokweseluleko sikaPapa uGregory the Great, laguqulela imikhosi eminingi yobuqaba ebuKristwini.”

Ukugcinwa kwalemikhosi engokwenkolo akuzange kubonise umuzwa ojulile wokuthanda inkolo phakathi kwabantu baseJalimane. UAndreas Heusler, isazi senkolo yaseJalimane esingasekho, uyichaza njengenkolo “eyenqaba okuncane kakhulu futhi eyayingafuni lutho olunzima, kuhlanganise nanoma yibuphi ubuorthodox obuyinganekwane. Umuntu wayecatshangelwa njengomshisekeli wenkolo uma ayenza imihlatshelo yakhe, ekhokha intela yethempeli, engazange abonise ukungayihloniphi indawo yokukhulekela, futhi engazange abhale amavesi okuhlekisa ngonkulunkulu.” Uyaphetha: “Kwakungekhona neze ukushisekela inkolo. . . . Ubuhle beJalimane abuzange buncike enkolweni yalo.”

Nakuba abantu baseJalimane lasendulo babekholelwa konkulunkulu, baba nomuzwa wokuthi eqinisweni kwakusekhona amandla aphakeme, ayedale onkulunkulu. Lawa ‘kwakungamandla okumiselwa,’ kuchaza umlobi uNack, lawo athi, “ayengathonywa imihlatshelo noma imikhuleko.” Nokho, ukumiselwa kwakungabhekwa ‘njengamandla angenakhono lokwenza izinqumo,’ njengoba kwakusebenza ngokuvumelana nemithetho yemvelo. Ngakho umuntu wayebhekwa ‘njengamandla akhululekile, hhayi isisulu.’

Inkolo yaseJalimane yayinemisuka yayo emvelweni. Ngokuvamile imihlatshelo yayenzelwa ngaphandle, ezindaweni ezitshalwe izihlahla nasemahlathini amakhulu. Inganekwane yaseJalimane ikhuluma ngesihlahla esisemhlabeni wonke okuthiwa iYggdrasill, lapho onkulunkulu bethetha khona amacala nsuku zonke. iEncyclopedia of Religion iyachaza: “[Senyukela] esibhakabhakeni, futhi amagatsha aso enabela emhlabeni wonke. . . . Uphawu lwesihlahla . . . luthathe isimo kwamanye amasiko. Ngokwesibonelo, eBabiloni lasendulo, isihlahla sembulunga yonke iKiskanu, sakhula endaweni engcwele. . . . ENdiya yasendulo, indawo yonke ifanekiselwa isihlahla esiphendukezelwe. . . . [Kodwa] abukho ubufakazi banoma iziphi izici zobuJuda nobuKristu emqondweni weYggdrasill.”

Ngokubheka lesizinda, akumangalisi ukuthi emazweni aye athonywa ngokunamandla inkolo yaseJalimane, abantu ngokuvamile bakholelwa kulokho abazalwa kwenziwa, ababona abanesimo senkolo kakhulu, futhi kuvamile ukuzwa bethi: ‘Imvelo ingunkulunkulu wami!’ Kuyaqondakala futhi ukuthi amaningi amasiko obuqaba enkolo yaseJalimane adluliselwe kweLobukholwa ahlobene nemvelo. Amasiko kaKhisimusi, anjengokusebenzisa izibani nesihlahla okuthiwa imistletoe, ukushisa isiqu somuthi iYule, noma ukuhlobisa ngesihlahla sikaKhisimusi, ayizibonelo ezimbalwa nje.

Ngesikhathi Esifanayo, EMpumalanga

Nakuba njalo lalingezwani nesonto laseNtshonalanga, isonto laseMpumalanga lalingenakho ukuthula ngokwalo, njengoba kuboniswe impikiswano yokwenqaba izimfundiso ezintsha. Imifanekiso, ehlukile kuleyo eneziqu ezintathu, njengezithombe eziqoshiwe ezivamile esontweni laseNtshonalanga, iyimifanekiso noma izithombe ezingokwenkolo ezenzelwe endaweni ephansi, kuhlanganise neziphakanyisiwe. Ngokuvamile zifanekisela uKristu, uMariya, noma “ongcwele.” Zathandwa kakhulu eMpumalanga kangangokuba ngokukaJohn S. Strong waseBates College, ‘zabhekwa njengezibonakaliso eziqondile noma imifanekiso yemizimba yabantu ezibafanekiselayo, [futhi] . . . zazicatshangelwa njengezigcwele amandla ayisimangaliso angcwele namakhulu kakhulu.’ Nokho, ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesishiyagalombili leminyaka, umbusi waseByzantine uLeo III wakwenqabela ukusetshenziswa kwazo. Impikiswano ayizange ixazululwe ngokuphelele kwaze kwaba ngo-843 C.E., okuyisikhathi kusukela ukusetshenziswa kwalezithombe okwakuvunyelwe ngaso esontweni laseMpumalanga.

Esinye isibonelo sokungabi nabunye kwaseMpumalanga sivela eGibithe. Nakuba amaKatolika athile aseGibithe ayekhuluma isiCopt, amanye ayekhuluma isiGreki, amaqembu ezilimi ezimbili ayephikisana ngesimo sikaKristu. Ngisho nakuba iziphathimandla zaseByzantine zenqaba ukukuvuma, lokhu kwaholela ekubeni kube khona amasonto amabili ahlukene. Kuso sonke lesikhathi, iqembu ngalinye lazama ukubeka ngobuqili omunye wababhishobhi balo esikhundleni sombhishobhi ophakeme waseAlexandria.

Namuhla, isonto laseMpumalanga lisahlukene phakathi. Ngokwesibonelo, amanye amasonto aseMpumalanga aziwa ngokuthi amaUniates, ayakwamukela ukubekwa kukapapa waseRoma esikhundleni esiphakeme. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, amaSonto obuOrthodox aseMpumalanga nalawo aziwa ngokuthi amasonto aseMpumalanga angaphansi awakwamukeli.

Njengamakloba Omlilo

Kudala kakhulu ngaphambi kokuba uMbuso ongengcwele owawungewona ngempela wamaRoma uphele, “ukugunyazwa okungokomthetho kwenzondo yamaKristu ngamanye amaKristu kwase kungeniswe ekujuleni kwezinhliziyo zamaKristu aseMpumalanga,” kusho umfundisi wesonto laseSheshi uWaddams. Ngempela, isono ‘somKristu’ ezonda “umKristu,” ngisho nakuba senziwa ebumnyameni, asizange sizitshwe ezulwini kodwa sasisobala njengamakloba omlilo.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, isono seLobukholwa sendlu ehlukene phakathi asizange sizitshwe emhlabeni. Ngokwesibonelo, umArabu othile ovelele wekhulu lesikhombisa leminyaka C.E., ‘owayazi kakhulu ngobuKristu ohambweni lwakhe nakubantu ayesondelene nabo,’ kusho umfundisi uWaddams, wayengahlatshwa umxhwele “izimpikiswano azibona phakathi kwamaKristu.” Lendoda yafuna indlela engcono kunaleyo eyavezwa eLobukholwa elingenabunye. Ingabe wayithola? Namuhla ngo-1989, amaphesenti ayi-17 ezakhamuzi zomhlaba alandela ngokuthe nsé ezinyathelweni zakhe. Ukuthi yayingubani lendoda futhi yazizwa kanjani ‘Ngokuzithoba Entandweni KaNkulunkulu,’ umagazini wethu olandelayo uzophendula.