Ubupapa—Ingabe Basungulwa UKristu?
“PHAKATHI kukaPetru, umBhishobhi wokuqala waseRoma, nopapa wethu wanamuhla, uJohn Paul II, kunohlu olude lwababhishobhi abaphakeme kakhulu—eqinisweni abangaphezu kuka-260.” Isho kanjalo indela engumKatolika uAnthony Foy kuyiSouthern Cross, iphephandaba lamaKatolika eliphuma masonto onke laseningizimu yeAfrika. Uyaqhubeka: “Kukuloluhlu olunganqamuki lopapa esingabhekisela kulo ngokuqiniseka, uma sicelwa ukuba sifakazele ukuthi iSonto lamaKatolika lasungulwa uJesu Kristu.”
Ingabe kungashiwo ngokuqiniseka ukuthi loluhlu olude lopapa lwaqalisa ngomphostoli uPetru? Ngokwemfundiso yenkolo yobuKatolika, opapa abane, uLinus, uAnacletus, uClement I, noEvaristus, kuthiwa balandela uPetru esikhundleni kwaze kwaba unyaka ka-100 C.E. IBhayibheli liyakhuluma ngomKristu ogama lakhe linguLinu owayehlala eRoma. (2 Thimothewu 4:21) Nokho, akukho lutho olusikisela ukuthi uLinu, noma ubani omunye, walandela uPetru esikhundleni sobupapa. Umphostoli uJohane, owabhala izincwadi ezinhlanu zeBhayibheli ngeshumi leminyaka lokugcina lekhulu lokuqala leminyaka, akazange abhekisele kunoma yimuphi kulaba abangenhla okuthiwa balandela uPetru esikhundleni. Ukuba-ke waba khona owalandela uPetru esikhundleni, kwakungeke yini kube ukukhetha okunengqondo ukuba kube uJohane ngokwakhe?
Mayelana nokuthi uPetru wayengumbhishobhi wokuqala waseRoma, abukho ubufakazi bokuthi wake walivakashela ngisho nokulivakashela lelodolobha. Eqinisweni, uPetru ngokwakhe uthi wabhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala eseBabiloni. (1 Petru 5:13) Iphuzu lamaKatolika kokuthi uPetru wasebenzisa elithi “Babiloni” njengobhekisela ngokungaqondile eRoma alinasisekelo. IBabiloni elingokoqobo lalisekhona ngosuku lukaPetru. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBabiloni lalinomphakathi omkhulu wamaJuda. Njengoba uJesu abela uPetru ukuba agxilise ukushumayela kwakhe kumaJuda asokiwe, kunengqondo ngokuphelele ukukholelwa ukuthi uPetru wahambela eBabiloni ngaleyonjongo.—Galathiya 2:9.
Phawula, futhi ukuthi uPetru akakaze athi ungaphezu kwabanye abaphostoli bakaKristu. (2 Petru 1:1) Akukho eBhayibhelini lapho ebizwa khona ngokuthi “uBaba Ongcwele,” “uMbhishobhi Ophakame Kakhulu,” noma “UPapa” (ngesiLatini, elithi papa, igama elibonisa uthando lomzwelo elisho “uBaba”). Kunalokho, wanamathela ngokuzithoba emazwini kaJesu akuMathewu 23:9, 10: “Ningabizi-muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngokuba munye uYihlo, osezulwini. Futhi ningabizwa ngokuthi abaholi; ngokuba munye umholi wenu, uKristu.” UPetru akazange akwamukele ukukhothanyelwa. Lapho induna yekhulu engumRoma uKorneliyu ‘iwa phansi ngasezinyaweni zakhe, ikhuleka, uPetru wayivusa wathi: Sukuma, nami ngingumuntu nje.’—IzEnzo 10:25, 26.
Ngokuqondene nalabo abangu-260 okuthiwa bangopapa, umpristi uFoy uyavuma: “Inani elithile liye langasifanelekela isikhundla salo esiphakeme.” Emzamweni wokuthethelela lokhu, iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Okwakubalulekile ezinjongweni zikahulumeni kwakuyisikhundla, futhi kwakungesona isimo sobuntu salowopapa ngamunye. Ngokwakhe kwakungenzeka ukuthi ungusanta, umuntu ovamile, noma ngisho nesigelekeqe.” Kodwa ingabe uyakholelwa ukuthi uKristu wayengasebenzisa abantu abanjalo ukuba bammelele?
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, ukugomela kokuthi ubupapa basungulwa uJesu kumane nje akusekelwa eBhayibhelini. Ngokwe-Encyclopedia of Religion, ngisho nezazi zanamuhla zamaKatolika ziyavuma ukuthi “abukho ubufakazi obuqondile obungokweBhayibheli bokuthi uJesu wamisa ubupapa njengesikhundla esihlala njalo esontweni.”