ICawa YamaKatolika EAfrika
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EITALI
ICAWA yamaKatolika inabalandeli abangamashumi ezigidi eAfrika, yaye ineengxaki ezinzulu. Ebutsheni balo nyaka uphelileyo iinkokeli zecawa ezingaphezu kwama-300 zahlanganisana kwiVatican eRome ukuze zixubushe ezinye zezi ngxaki ebudeni bengqungquthela ekhethekileyo eyathabatha inyanga yonke.
Evula loo ntlanganiso upopu wathi, njengoko kwanikelwa ingxelo kwiL’Osservatore Romano: “Namhlanje okwesihlandlo sokuqala kukho iNgqungquthela yeCawa yaseAfrika ebandakanya elo lizwekazi lonke. . . . IAfrika iphela ilapha namhlanje eSt Peter’s eBasilica. UBhishophu waseRome ngothando olunzulu uyayibulisa iAfrika.”
Imfazwe Yobuzwe
Njengoko abaninzi besazi, iingxaki zeCawa yamaKatolika zinkulu ngokukodwa kumazwe aseAfrika iBurundi neRwanda, anamaKatolika amaninzi. Imfazwe yobuzwe apho yaba ngundaba-mlonyeni kumazwe ngamazwe kolu kwindla ludluleyo xa amakhulu amawaka ayebulawa ngabamelwane bawo. Elinye ingqina lokuzibonela lanikela le ngxelo: “Sabona amabhinqa ebulala ngoxa ebeleke abantwana abancinane. Sabona abantwana bebulala abanye abantwana.”
INational Catholic Reporter yathetha ngentlungu yeenkokeli zamaKatolika. Yathi upopu “waba ‘buhlungu gqitha’ ngenxa yeengxelo za mvanje zongquzulwano kwilizwe elincinane laseAfrika [iBurundi], elinabemi abaninzi abangamaKatolika.”
Ukubulawa kwabantu eRwanda kwakuzikhathaza ngakumbi iinkokeli zamaKatolika. “Upopu Uyakugxeka Ukutshatyalaliswa Kohlanga Luphela Kwilizwe ElinamaKatolika Angama-70 Ekhulwini,” watsho njalo omnye umxholo weli phepha likwalinye. Eli nqaku lathi: “Umlo kweli lizwe laseAfrika ubandakanya ‘ukutshatyalaliswa kohlanga luphela ngokwenene, ngelishwa, kwanamaKatolika abekek’ ityala kuko,’ watsho njalo upopu.”
Ekubeni ukubulawa kwabantu ngenkohlakalo eRwanda kwakusenziwa ngoxa kwakuqhubeka ingqungquthela yamaKatolika engasokuze ilibaleke eRome, ngokucacileyo ingqalelo yoobhishophu yatsoliswa kwimeko yaseRwanda. INational Catholic Reporter yathi: “Ungquzulwano lwaseRwanda ludiza okuthile okothusayo: Iingcambu zokholo lobuKristu azendelanga ngokunzulu eAfrika ukuze zoyise ubuzwe.”
Iphawula inkxalabo yoobhishophu ababehlanganisene, iNational Catholic Reporter yahlabela mgama yenjenje: “Lo mxholo [wobuzwe] wasingathwa nguAlbert Kanene Obiefuna, ubhishophu waseAwka, eNigeria, ethetha kwingqungquthela.” Kwintetho yakhe, lo kaObiefuna wacacisa: “Umntu oqhelekileyo waseAfrika uphila ubomi bentsapho kwanobomi bakhe bobuKristu ngokuvisisana nezilangazelelo zakhe zobuzwe.”
Wandula ke, ngokungathandabuzekiyo ecinga ngeRwanda, lo kaObiefuna waqhubeka wenjenje kwintetho yakhe kwingqungquthela: “Esi simo sengqondo sisasazeke kangangokuba kukho intetho phakathi kwabantu baseAfrika ethi xa kufuneka ubani enze ukhetho, akuphumeleli ingcamango yobuKristu yokuba iCawa iyintsapho kunoko kuphumelela iqhalo elithi ‘igazi liyajiya kunamanzi.’ Yaye la manzi sithetha ngawo apha ubani usenokusuka aquke amanzi oBhaptizo umntu azalwa ngawo kwintsapho yeCawa. Ukuzalana kubaluleke ngakumbi nakumntu waseAfrika oye wangumKristu.”
Ngaloo ndlela lo bhishophu wavuma ukuba eAfrika ukholo lobuKatolika aluphumelelanga ekudaleni ubuzalwana bobuKristu apho amakholwa athi athandane ngokwenene njengokuba uYesu Kristu wafundisa ukuba afanele enjenjalo. (Yohane 13:35) Kunoko, “ukuzalana kubaluleke ngakumbi” kumaKatolika aseAfrika. Oku kuye kwaphumela ekubeni abeke intiyo yobuzwe kuqala kuzo zonke izinto. Njengoko upopu wavumayo, amaKatolika aseAfrika amele athwale ityala ngenxa yokubulawa kwabantu ngenkohlakalo ngendlela engathethekiyo kutshanje.
Kuthiwa Ukusinda Kusemngciphekweni
Oobhishophu baseAfrika kule ngqungquthela bavakalisa uloyiko ngokusinda kobuKatolika eAfrika. UBonifatius Haushiku, ubhishophu waseNamibia wathi: “Ukuba sifuna iCawa ihlale ikho kwilizwe lam, simele siwuqwalasele ngokunzulu umbandela wokuzivisisanisa nezithethe.”
Livakalisa uluvo olufanayo, ijelo leendaba lamaKatolika iAdista laseItali lathi: “Ukuthetha ‘ngokuzivisisanisa nezithethe’ kweVangeli eAfrika kukuthetha ngekamva leCawa yamaKatolika kwelo lizwekazi, kukuthetha ngamathuba okusinda okanye ukungasindi kwayo.”
Bathetha ukuthini kanye oobhishophu xa bethetha ‘ngokuzivisisanisa nezithethe’?
ICawa ‘Nokuzivisisanisa Nezithethe’
UJohn M. Waliggo wacacisa ukuba “ibinzana elithi ukuhlengahlengisa liye lasetyenziswa ixesha elide ukuchaza inyaniso efanayo.” Ngeliphandle, “ukuzivisisanisa nezithethe” kuthetha ukufaka izithethe neengcamango zeenkonzo zobuzwe kwimibhiyozo nonqulo lwamaKatolika, kunikwa igama nentsingiselo entsha imigidi, izinto, amasiko, neendawo zamandulo.
Ukuzivisisanisa nezithethe kuvumela abantu baseAfrika babe ngamaKatolika anokuma okuhle baze sekunjalo babambelele kwizenzo, kwimibhiyozo, nakwiinkolelo zeenkonzo zabo zobuzwe. Ngaba kufanele kuchaswe oku? Ngokomzekelo, iphephandaba lesiTaliyane iLa Repubblica, labuza: “Ngaba akuyonyaniso na ukuba eYurophu iKrismesi yasekelwa kumsitho weSolis Invicti, owawuqhutywa ngoDisemba 25?”
Eneneni, kunjengokuba uJosef Cardinal Tomko, ongumphathi weBandla Elishumayela iVangeli Ezintlangeni, waphawula oku: “ICawa yobuvangeli yawenza lo msebenzi wokuzivisisanisa nezithethe kude kudala ngaphambi kokuba eli binzana liqalise ukusetyenziswa.” Umbhiyozo weKrismesi uwuzekelisa kakuhle lo mbandela, njengoko iLa Repubblica yaphawulayo. Mandulo yayingumbhiyozo wabahedeni. INew Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Umhla kaDisemba 25 awungqamani nokuzalwa kukaKristu, koko ungqamana nomsitho weNatalis Solis Invicti, umsitho waseRoma wokuzalwa kwelanga elingashukumiyo.”
IKrismesi lelinye nje lamasiko amaninzi ecawa asekelwe kubuhedeni. Ezinye iinkolelo ezinjalo nguBathathu Emnye, ukungafi komphefumlo, nokuthuthunjiswa kwemiphefumlo yabantu ngonaphakade emva kokufa. UJohn Henry Cardinal Newman wenkulungwane ye-19 wabhala ukuba “abalawuli beCawa ukususela kumaxesha angaphambili babekulungele, ukuba ithuba lalinokuvela, ukwamkela, okanye ukuxelisa, okanye ukuxhasa imigidi namasiko akhoyo abantu.” Edwelisa izenzo neeholide ezininzi zecawa, wathi “zonke zazinemvelaphi yobuhedeni, zaza zenziwa ngcwele ngokwamkelwa eCaweni.”
Xa amaKatolika engena kwimimandla engeyoyabuKristu, njengakwiindawo ezithile zaseAfrika, asoloko efumanisa ukuba abantu sele benezenzo neenkolelo zonqulo ezifana nqwa nezo zecawa. Oku kungenxa yokuba ebudeni beenkulungwane ezidluleyo icawa yamkela izenzo neemfundiso kwiintlanga ezingengomaKristu yaza yazifaka kubuKatolika. UCardinal Newman wathi, izenzo neemfundiso ezinjalo, “zenziwa ngcwele ngokwamkelwa eCaweni.”
Ngaloo ndlela, xa uPopu John Paul II watyelela iintlanga ezingengomaKristu eAfrika ngowe-1993, wacatshulwa kwiL’Osservatore Romano njengothi: “ECotonou [eBenin, eAfrika] ndadibana nabalandeli bonqulo lobugqwirha oluyi-voodoo, yaye kwakucace kwakwindlela ababethetha ngayo ukuba ngandlel’ ithile ezingqondweni, kwimigidi, kwimiqondiso nakwizimo zabo zengqondo babesele benokuthile koko iCawa ifuna ukubanika kona. Kuphela balindele ixesha lokuba kufike ubani abancede baguquke baze baphile ngoBhaptizo ngendlela abebephila ngayo ukusa kumlinganiselo othile ngaphambi koBhaptizo.”
Yintoni Ofanele Uyenze?
Ukusilela kwecawa ukufundisa ubuKristu bokwenyaniso, nobungangxengwanga kwiintlanga zaseAfrika kuye kwaneziphumo eziyintlekele. Ubuzwe buye bahlala bukho, njengoko ubuhlanga bunjalo kwezinye iindawo, buphumela ekubeni amaKatolika abulalane. Hayi indlela oko okumhlazisa ngayo uKristu! IBhayibhile ithi ukubulalana okunjalo nokuchasene nomthetho kubafanisa abantu ‘njengabantwana bakaMtyholi,’ ibe uYesu uthi ngabanjalo: “Mkani kum, nina nenza okuchasene nomthetho.”—1 Yohane 3:10-12; Mateyu 7:23.
Ngoko ke yintoni efanele yenziwe ngamaKatolika aneentliziyo ezinyanisekileyo? IBhayibhile ibongoza amaKristu ukuba akulumkele ukulalanisa kuzo naziphi na izenzo okanye iinkolelo eziya kulungcolisa unqulo lwawo emehlweni kaThixo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Musani ukuzibophelela dyokhweni nye nabangakholwayo.” Ukuze unandiphe inkoliseko kaThixo, kufuneka ‘nizahlule ningachukumisi nanye into engcolileyo emehlweni kaThixo.’—2 Korinte 6:14-17.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 20]
‘Imfazwe yaseRwanda kukutshatyalaliswa kohlanga luphela ngokwenene kwanamaKatolika abekek’ ityala kuko,’ watsho njalo upopu
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Photo: Jerden Bouman/Sipa Press