Ingcwaba LikaPetros—Ngaba LiseVatican?

“INGCWABA leNkosana yabaPostile lifunyenwe.” Eso sibhengezo sokuphumelela sikaPopu Pius XII savakaliswa ngunomathotholo waseVatican. Kwakusekupheleni kowe-1950, yaye umsebenzi onzima wokumba ngaphantsi kweSt. Peter’s Basilica wawusandul’ ukugqitywa. Ngokutsho kwabathile, imiphumo yolu phando lokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala yangqina ukuba uPetros ngenene wangcwatyelwa eVatican. Noko ke, asibantu bonke abavumelana noku.

KumaKatolika, iCawa iSt. Peter eVatican ibaluleke ngokukhethekileyo. Incwadi yokhokelo yamaKatolika ithi: “Injongo yohambo ngezonqulo lokuya eRoma kukudibana nelandela likaPetros uze wamkele iintsikelelo zalo, kuba uPetros weza eRoma waza wangcwatyelwa khona.” Kodwa ngaba ngokwenene uPetros wangcwatyelwa eRoma? Ngaba ingcwaba lakhe liseVatican? Ngaba amathambo akhe afunyenwe?

Imfihlelo Engezinto Ezembiweyo

Umsebenzi wokumba, owaqalisa malunga nowe-1940 waza wathabatha phantse iminyaka elishumi, uye wabangela impikiswano enkulu. Yintoni eyafunyaniswa ngabembi bezinto zakudala abanyulwa ngupopu? Phakathi kwezinye izinto, bafumanisa indawo yokungcwaba yabahedeni enamangcwaba aliqela. Phakathi kwawo, ngaphantsi kwepulpiti kapopu yanamhlanje, bafumanisa isikhumbuzo, oko kukuthi, indawo esisikhumbuzo eyilelwe ukufaka umfanekiso oqingqiweyo okanye umfanekiso, ofakwe eludongeni olutyatyekwe bomvu lwaza lwabiyelwa ngeendonga ezimbini emacaleni. Okokugqibela, nokona kungummangaliso kukuba, apha kwabonwa namathambo abantu, ekwathiwa, aphuma kolunye lweendonga ezimbini ezisemacaleni.

Apha kulapho yaqala khona le nkcazelo. Ngokutsho kwabaphengululi abaliqela bamaKatolika, okwafunyaniswayo kungqina imbali yendawo awayehlala kuyo uPetros nokubulawelwa kwakhe ukholo eRoma ebudeni bokulawula kukaNero, mhlawumbi ebudeni bentshutshiso yowama-64 C.E. Kuye kwathiwa la ngamathambo alo mpostile yaye oku kunokuboniswa ngumbhalo, ngokutsho kwenye indlela otolikwa ngayo, ofundeka ngokuthi, “UPetros ulapha.” Kubonakala ukuba uPopu Paul VI wayebhekisela kule ngcamango kungaqinisekwanga ngayo xa ngowe-1968 wavakalisa ukufunyanwa “kwamathambo eNgcwele uPetros, esifanele sizinikele kuwo yaye siwakhonze.”

Noko ke, ndawonye neendlela ekwakutolikwa ngayo oku, kwakukho neempikiswano. Ummbi wezinto zakudala wamaKatolika uAntonio Ferrua, umJesuit owayenenxaxheba kumsebenzi wokumba waseVatican, uye waqinisekisa izihlandlo ezingaphezu kwesinye ukuba ‘akazange avunyelwe apapashe’ konke akwaziyo ngalo mbandela, inkcazelo ekubonakala ukuba ibiya kuliphikisa ibango lokuba amathambo kaPetros aye afunyaniswa. Ngapha koko, incwadi yokwalathisa indlela eRoma, ehlelwe nguKardinali Poupard ongumKatolika yaza yapapashwa ngowe-1991, yathi “kuhlolisiso lwenzululwazi lwamathambo omntu awafunyanwa ngaphantsi kwesiseko soDonga Olubomvu kwakungekho nto ibonisa ukuba ngawompostile uPetros.” Okumangalisayo kukuba, kuhlelo olulandelayo (ngasekupheleni kowe-1991), la mazwi ayengekho, yaye kwakongezwe isahluko esitsha, esinomxholo othi “Ngokuqinisekileyo: UPetros useSt. Peter.”

Ukutolikwa Koko Kwafunyaniswayo

Kuyabonakala ukuba oko kwafunyanwayo kufanele kutolikwe yaye kuthetha izinto ezahlukileyo kubantu abahlukileyo. Enyanisweni, abona babhali-mbali bavunyiweyo bamaKatolika bayaqonda ukuba “iingxaki ezingembali yokubulawelwa ukholo kukaPetros eRoma, nendawo awangcwatyelwa kuyo, ziyinto ebangela iingxoxo.” Oko kwafunyaniswayo kutyhila ntoni?

Esona sikhumbuzo sibalulekileyo, ngokutsho kwabo bafuna ukugcina isithethe samaKatolika, ‘sisikhumbuzo’ ekwabhekiselwa kuso nguGaius othile, umbingeleli owayephila ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesithathu. Ngokutsho kukaEusebius waseKesareya, umbhali-mbali ngezinto zecawa wenkulungwane yesine, uGaius wathi ‘wayenokusalatha isikhumbuzo sikaPetros kwiNduli iVatican.’ Abaxhasi bembali bathi lo mpostile wangcwatyelwa apho, ngezantsi kwesikhumbuzo esaziwa ngokuba “sisikhumbuzo sikaGaius.” Noko ke, abanye bakutolika ngokwahlukileyo okwafunyanwa kumsebenzi wokumba, bebonisa ukuba amaKristu okuqala akazange anikele ngqalelo ingako ekungcwatyweni kwabafileyo babo yaye kwanokuba uPetros wabulawa apho, akubonakali ngathi kwakunokubakho nto ibalulekileyo ngomzimba wakhe. (Bona ibhokisi, kwiphepha 29.)

Kukho abo bangavumiyo ukuba “isikhumbuzo sikaGaius” (ukuba oko koko kwafunyanwayo) lingcwaba. Bathi esi sisikhumbuzo esamiselwa ukuzukisa uPetros ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini yaye kamva “sagqalwa njengesikhumbuzo esilingcwaba.” Noko ke, ngokutsho komfundisi wezakwalizwi uOscar Cullmann, “kumsebenzi wokumba waseVatican akuzange kufunyaniswe ingcwaba likaPetros konke konke.”

Kuthekani ngamathambo? Kufanele kutshiwo ukuba indawo avela kuyo ngokwenene amathambo iseyintsinda-badala. Ekubeni ngenkulungwane yokuqala indawo enkulu yokungcwaba yayimi kwindawo ngoku eyiNduli iVatican, amathambo amaninzi abantu angcwatywa apho, yaye amaninzi sele efunyenwe. Umbhalo ongaphelelanga (mhlawumbi wenkulungwane yesine) bambi abathi uchaza indawo afunyenwe kuyo amathambo njengengcwaba lalo mpostile, mhlawumbi kusenokwenzeka ukuba ubhekisela “kumathambo kaPetros ekucingelwa ukuba akho.” Ngapha koko, iingcali ezininzi zemibhalo yakudala zinoluvo lokuba lo mbhalo usenokuthetha ukuba “uPetros akakho apha.”

‘Imbali Engenakuthenjwa’

Umbhali-mbali uD. W. O’Connor uthi: “Imithombo yangaphambili nenokuthenjwa ngakumbi ayiyikhankanyi indawo awabulawelwa ukholo kuyo [uPetros], kodwa imithombo yamva nengenakuthenjwa kangako ivumelana ngelokuba loo ndawo kwakuseVatican.” Ngoko ke ukukhangelwa kwengcwaba likaPetros eVatican kwakusekelwe kwimbali engenakuthenjwa. Lo kaO’Connor uqinisekisa esithi: “Xa amathambo abantu abafayo aqalisa ukuba yinto ebalulekileyo, amaKristu aqalisa ukukholelwa ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba [isikhumbuzo] sikaPetros eneneni siyindawo elingcwaba lakhe.”

Le mbali yavela kunye nokuzukiswa kwamathambo abantu abangasekhoyo okungekho zibhalweni. Ukususela kwinkulungwane yesithathu neyesine, iicawa ezininzi zaye zasebenzisa izinto zabantu abangasekhoyo, ezokwenyaniso nezobuxoki—yaye oku zikwenza ngenxa yenzuzo yezoqoqosho—kumzabalazo wokuba zeziphambili “ngokomoya” nokwandisa igunya lazo. Ngaloo ndlela, beyisekile kwelokuba amathambo kaPetros anamandla angummangaliso, abahambi ngezonqulo baye bangumkrozo ukuya kwindawo ekuthiwa lingcwaba lakhe. Ekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesithandathu, amakholwa ayedla ngokuphosa amalaphu anobunzima obuthile “engcwabeni.” “Okuphawulekayo kukuba,” ngokutsho kwenye ingxelo esexesheni, “ukuba ukholo lomntu ophose elo laphu lomelele, xa elisusa engcwabeni, liya kube lizaliswe ngamandla obuthixo yaye linobunzima obungakumbi kunangaphambili.” Oku kubonisa umgangatho wendlela abantu ababekholelwa ngayo ngelo xesha.

Ukutyhubela iinkulungwane, iintsomi ezinjengale nembali engenasiseko ziye zanegalelo kakhulu ekukhuleni kokuxatyiswa kweVatican Basilica. Noko ke, abanye abazange baneliseke koku. Kwinkulungwane ye-12 neye-13, abalandeli bakaWaldo abazange bazamkele ezi zenzo zigabadeleyo yaye, bephethe iBhayibhile, bachaza ukuba uPetros akazange abe seRoma. Kwiinkulungwane kamva, abaxhasi boHlaziyo lwamaProtestanti babengavumelani noku besebenzisa ingxoxo efanayo. Ngenkulungwane ye-18, izithandi-zobulumko ezaziwayo zasigqala esi sithethe njengesingenasiseko, ngokwembali nangokweZibhalo. Abaphengululi abanamava banembono efanayo, abamaKatolika nabanye, kude kube ngulo mhla wethu.

Ngaba UPetros Wafela ERoma?

UPetros, umlobi waseGalili owayethobekile, ngokuqinisekileyo akazange acinge ukuba ungomkhulu kubadala bebandla lamaKristu lenkulungwane yokuqala. Kunoko, wazibiza ‘njengendoda enkulu kunye nabo.’ (1 Petros 5:1-6) Ukuthobeka kukaPetros kuyaphikisana nokuziphakamisa okubonakala kwindawo ekuthiwa lingcwaba lakhe, njengoko oku kunokubonwa lulo naluphi na undwendwe eVatican Basilica.

Ukuze izingqine iphakamile kwamanye amahlelo obuKristu, iCawa yamaKatolika iye yafuna ukwamkela imbali ‘yamva nengenakuthenjwa kangako’ ebonisa ukuba uPetros wakha wahlala okwethuba elithile eRoma. Noko ke, okumangalisayo kukuba, enye imbali yamandulo ithi akazange angcwatyelwe eVatican, kodwa ndaweni ithile eRoma. Ngoko, kutheni kungabanjelelwa kwizibakala ezibhalwe eBhayibhileni, ekuphela komthombo wenkcazelo ethe ngqo engoPetros? Ngokusuka kwiLizwi likaThixo licacile elokuba, ngokuthobela ulwalathiso awalufumana kwiqumrhu elilawulayo lebandla lamaKristu eYerusalem, uPetros wawuphumeza umsebenzi wakhe ngasempuma kwihlabathi lamandulo, kuquka iBhabhiloni.—Galati 2:1-9; 1 Petros 5:13; thelekisa IZenzo 8:14.

Xa wayebhalela amaKristu aseRoma, malunga nowama-56 C.E., umpostile uPawulos wabulisa amalungu anokuba ngama-30 elo bandla ngaphandle kokukhankanya uPetros. (Roma 1:1, 7; 16:3-23) Wandula ke, phakathi kowama-60 nowama-65 C.E., uPawulos wabhala iincwadi ezintandathu eseRoma, kodwa akukhankanywa nto ngoPetros—ubungqina obunamandla bokuba uPetros wayengekho apho.a (Thelekisa eyesi-2 kuTimoti 1:15-17; 4:11.) Izinto uPawulos awazenzayo eRoma zichazwe ekupheleni kwencwadi yeZenzo, kodwa kwakhona, akukho nto ithethwayo ngoPetros. (IZenzo 28:16, 30, 31) Ngenxa yoku, uhlolisiso olunengqiqo lobungqina beBhayibhile, olungenazingcamango zicingelwayo, kuphela lunokukhokelela kwisigqibo sokuba uPetros akazange ashumayele eRoma.b

“Ubuntloko” bukapopu busekelwe kwimbali engenakuthenjwa nokugqwethwa kwezibhalo. UYesu, ingenguye uPetros, usisiseko sobuKristu. UPawulos uthi ‘uKristu uyintloko yebandla.’ (Efese 2:20-22; 5:23) YayinguYesu Kristu owathunywa nguYehova ukuba aye kusikelela aze asindise bonke abakholwayo.—Yohane 3:16; IZenzo 4:12; Roma 15:29; bona kwaneyoku-1 kaPetros 2:4-8.

Ngoko ke, bonke abo bathabatha uhambo lokuya koko bakukholelwa ngokunyanisekileyo kulingcwaba likaPetros ukuze baye ‘kudibana nelandela lakhe’ bajamelene nengxaki enoba bafanele bamkele ‘imbali engenakuthenjwa’ okanye bakholelwe iLizwi likaThixo elithembekileyo kusini na. Ekubeni amaKristu efuna ukuba unqulo lwawo lwamkeleke kuThixo, ‘asa amehlo awo kuMgqibelelisi wokholo lwawo, uYesu,’ nakumzekelo ogqibeleleyo yena awasishiyela wona ukuba siwulandele.—Hebhere 12:2; 1 Petros 2:21.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

“Umsebenzi wokumba awuzange utyhile nawuphi umkhondo oqinisekileyo wengcwaba ngaphantsi kweAedicula; yaye akunakubakho nto iqinisekisa ukuba umzimba weNgcwele uPetros wafunyanwa kubathuthumbisi ukuze ungcwatywe ngamaKristu. Ngendlela eqhelekileyo izinto ezazisenzeka ngayo, umzimba wothile owayengumphambukeli (peregrinus), yaye ngokomthetho isihange esaziwayo, wawunokuba waphoswa kwiTibheriya. . . . Ngaphezu koko, kwakungasayi kubakho mdla ufanayo wokulondoloza amathambo omfi ngaphambili njengokuba kwaba njalo kamva, xa ukuphela kwehlabathi okwakulindelwe kwaphela ezingqondweni saza isithethe sabafeli-nkolo saqalisa ukubonakala. Ngoko ke, kusenokwenzeka ukuba isibakala sokuba umzimba weNgcwele uPetros, eneneni, awuzange ufunyanwe ukuze ungcwatywe sisenokuba yinyaniso.”—The Shrine of St. Peter and the Vatican Excavations, nguJocelyn Toynbee noJohn Ward Perkins.