UMkhandlu Wezwe Wamasonto—Uvumelana Ngemibono Ehlukene
PHAKATHI kuka-August 3 kuya ku-14, 1993, idolobha laseSantiago, eSpain, lamukela iqembu elingavamile lezihambeli. Kulelidolobha kwaqhutshelwa i-World Conference on Faith and Order, eyayixhaswe uMkhandlu Wezwe Wamasonto. Umgomo walezizihambeli wawesabeka—ukuvuselela umzamo othiyekile wokuhlanganisa amasonto eLobukholwa.
UDesmond Tutu, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseSheshi eNingizimu Afrika, wachaza lesisimo ngokungagwegwesi ngokuthi “ubuvila bawo wonke amasonto.” Wakhononda: “Sicwilisa izinzwane zethu emanzini, kodwa sintula isibindi sokungena.”
Ukungenela ezindabeni zawo wonke amasonto ngeke kube lula. Ukuhlukana phakathi kwalezizihambeli kwavela ngisho naphakathi komkhosi wokuvula esontweni lamaKatolika eSantiago. “IHubo LikaSt. James,” elahlatshelelwa ekuvulweni kwenkonzo, lagxekwa ngokuthi likhazimulisa unya lwamaKatolika aseSpain kumaJuda, amaSulumane, namaProthestani olwathatha amakhulu eminyaka, ngisho noma umbhishobhi omkhulu ongumKatolika uRouco ayekhuthaze ababekhona ukuba ‘babonise umoya wezihambeli futhi bafune ukubuyisana phakathi kwamaKristu.’
Ingabe sikhona isisekelo esingenza amaKatolika, ama-Orthodox, namaProthestani abuyisane? Elinye iqembu labacwaningi labonisa ukuthi amasonto ahlukahlukene abheka iSivumo Sokholo SaseNicaea “njengokubonakaliswa okuyinhloko kokholo lwabaphostoli.” Ayenethemba lokuthi lesisivumo sokholo sasizosebenza “njengendlela yokufinyelela ubunye bokholo,” ngisho noma kungase kube khona “ukuhluka kwemibono.”
“Ukuhluka kwemibono” kwazibonakalisa ngokuphindaphindiwe phakathi nalengqungquthela. Izihambeli zama-Orthodox nezamaKatolika zazwakalisa ukumelana kwazo nesinqumo saseSheshi samuva nje sokugunyaza ukugcotshwa kwabesifazane. Enye imbangela yengxabano umbango ophakathi kwamasonto obu-Orthodox nobuKatolika emazweni ayengaphansi kobuKhomanisi. UMbhishobhi omkhulu u-Iakovos weSonto LamaGreki Lobu-Orthodox uthi kwakuyiphutha ukukhuluma “ngokushumayeza kabusha abantu osekungamakhulu eminyaka bengamaKristu” kodwa abaye babhekana neshwa lokuphila amashumi eminyaka ngaphansi kokungakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu kobuKhomanisi. Eqinisweni, umbiko wengqungquthela wakulahla “ukuguqula abantu” njengesithiyo sobunye, nakuba wavuma ukuthi kunesidingo ‘sokuwuqonda ngokucacile umsebenzi wesonto wokushumayela.’
USamuel B. Joshua, umbhishobhi waseBombay, wabuchaza ngokungenathemba ubunye bamasonto ngokuthi “umbono oyiphupho.” Ngemva kokubhekana mathupha nezinkinga ezihilelekile ekuhlanganiseni izinkolo eziyisithupha eNdiya, wathi “izinzuzo ziyize” kanti imithwalo “iyasinda.” Ukholelwa ukuthi ubunye bobuKristu akufanele bufunwe “ngokubheka izimfundiso nokuhlelwa kwesonto.”
Kodwa ingabe ubunye obungazinaki izimfundiso bungaba ubunye beqiniso? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi izinkolo ‘ezingakawuqondi umsebenzi wesonto wokushumayela’ zilandela uKristu? UPawulu wathi abalandeli bakaKristu beqiniso kufanele baqhubeke ‘becabanga ngokuvumelana.’ (2 Korinte 13:11) Ukwamukela nje imibono ehlukene akuyifinyeleli nakancane leyondinganiso.