AmaCathari—Ngaba Ayengabafeli-nkolo AbangamaKristu?

“BABULALENI bonke; uThixo uya kubazi abakhe.” Ngaloo mini yehlobo lowe-1209, abemi baseBéziers, ekumazantsi eFransi, babulawa. Imonki uArnold Amalric, eyayimiselwe njengesekela likapopu owayeyinkokeli yamajoni omnqamlezo angamaKatolika, yayingenanceba. Xa amajoni ayo ayibuza ukuba ayeya kuwahlula njani amaKatolika kubaqhekeki, ngokutsho kwengxelo yanikela le mpendulo inezothe icatshulwe ngasentla. Ababhali-mbali abangamaKatolika bayenza ayavakala irhabaxa kangako ngokuthi yayisithi: “Ningakhathazeki. Ndicinga ukuba bambalwa abaya kuguquka.” Enoba yiyiphi na eyona mpendulo yayo, umphumo waba kukubulawa ubuncinane kwamadoda, abafazi nabantwana abangama-20 000 ngamajoni omnqamlezo angama-300 000, awayekhokelwa ngoobhishophu beCawa yamaKatolika.

Wawuyintoni unobangela woku kubulawa kwabantu? Yayisisiqalo nje seMfazwe Yomnqamlezo yaseAlbi eyathi yaqaliswa nguPopu Innocent III nxamnye nabo babebizwa ngokuba ngabaqhekeki kwiphondo laseLanguedoc, kumazantsi ombindi weFransi. Ngaphambi kokuba iphele kwiminyaka emalunga nama-20 kamva, banokuba sisigidi abantu—amaCathari, abalandeli bakaWaldo, kwanamaKatolika amaninzi—ababephulukene nobomi babo.

Ukwahlukana Ngokwezimvo Zonqulo eYurophu Kumaxesha Aphakathi

Ukukhula ngokukhawuleza korhwebo ngenkulungwane ye-11 C.E. kwazisa iinguqu eziphawulekayo kwezentlalo nakwezoqoqosho eYurophu kumaxesha aphakathi. Kwabakho iidolophu zokuhlala ukwenzela inani elandayo labasebenzi noosomashishini. Oku kwavelisa amathuba eengcamango ezintsha. Ukwahlukana ngokwezimvo zonqulo kwaqalisa eLanguedoc, apha kwakukho abantu ababehlonelana nababephucuke ngendlela engummangaliso ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantu baseYurophu. Isixeko saseToulouse eLanguedoc sasisesesithathu kwiidolophu ezinkulu ezizezona zityebileyo eYurophu. Kukule ndawo apho zaqala khona iimvumi neembongi, zimbi iingoma nemibongo yazo yathi yachukumisa imibandela yezobupolitika neyonqulo.

Ichaza imeko yonqulo ngenkulungwane ye-11 neye-12, iRevue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses ithi: “Ngenkulungwane ye-12, njengakwinkulungwane engaphambili, yayiqhubeka ithandatyuzwa indlela yokuphila yabefundisi, ubutyebi babo, ukunyotywa kwabo, nokuziphatha okubi kwabo, kodwa ngokuyintloko yayibubutyebi namandla, amayelenqe abawenza namagunya asekuhlaleni, nokuthotyelwa kwabo ngokupheleleyo okwakugxekwa.”

Abashumayeli Abahambahambayo

UPopu Innocent III naye wayesazi ukuba ukonakala okwakuxhaphakile ecaweni kuko okwabangela kwakho abashumayeli abahambahambayo, abanezimvo ezahlukileyo ngonqulo eYurophu, ngakumbi kumazantsi eFransi nakumntla weItali. Uninzi lwaba yayingamaCathari okanye abalandeli bakaWaldo. Wangxolisa abefundisi ngokungabafundisi abantu, esithi: “Abantwana bafuna isonka eningafuniyo nina ukubaqhekezela.” Sekunjalo, kunokuba akhuthaze ukufundiswa kwabantu iBhayibhile, uInnocent wathi: “IZibhalo zikaThixo zintsonkothe kangangokuba, asingobantu baqhelekileyo nabangafundanga nje kuphela, kodwa kwanabalumkileyo nabafundileyo abanabulumko baneleyo bokuziqonda.” Bonke bathintelwa ekufundeni iBhayibhile ngaphandle kwabefundisi kwaza kamva kwavunyelwa ukuba ifundwe ngesiLatini kuphela.

Ukuze oyise abashumayeli abahambahambayo abanezimvo ezahlukileyo, upopu wavuma ukuba kumiselwe iQela labaShumayeli abangooNongendi, okanye amaDominic. Ngokungafaniyo nabefundisi bamaKatolika ababezizityebi, aba nongendi babeza kuba ngabashumayeli abahambahambayo abathunywe ukuya kukhusela iimfundiso zamaKatolika “kubaqhekeki” abakumazantsi eFransi. Kwakhona upopu wathumela amasekela kapopu ukuba aye kuqiqa namaCathari aze azame ukuwabuyisela kubuhlanti bamaKatolika. Ekubeni le migudu yasilelayo, yaye elinye lamasekela akhe labulawa, ekucingelwa ukuba labulawa ngumqhekeki, uInnocent III wayalela ukuba kuliwe iMfazwe Yomnqamlezo yaseAlbi ngowe-1209. IAlbi yayiyenye yeedolophu apho amaCathari ayemaninzi khona, ngoko ababhali bembali engecawa babewabiza amaCathari ngokuba ziiAlbigenses (ngesiFrentshi, Albigeois) yaye basebenzisa eli binzana xa bethetha ngabo bonke “abaqhekeki” abakuloo mmandla, kuquka nabalandeli bakaWaldo. (Bona ibhokisi engezantsi.)

Ayengoobani AmaCathari?

Igama elithi “cathar” livela kwigama lesiGrike elithi ka·tha·rosʹ, elithetha ukuba “nyulu.” Ukususela ngenkulungwane ye-11 ukusa kweye-14, ubuCathari basasazeka ngokukodwa eLombardy, kumntla weItali, naseLanguedoc. Iinkolelo zamaCathari zazingumxube wemfundiso yaseMpuma yokuba umntu unesiqu somoya nesenyama kunye nobuGnostiki, mhlawumbi ezeza nabarhwebi bangaphandle nabavangeli. IThe Encyclopedia of Religion ichaza imfundiso yamaCathari yesiqu somoya nesenyama njengenkolelo “yemigaqo emibini: owokuqala ngolungileyo, owawulawula zonke izinto zokomoya, omnye ngongendawo, owawubandakanya izinto eziphathekayo, kuquka umzimba womntu.” AmaCathari ayekholelwa kwelokuba uSathana wadala izinto eziphathekayo, ezazigwetyelwe intshabalalo ngokungaguqukiyo. Ithemba labo yayikukusaba kubungendawo obuzizinto eziphathekayo.

AmaCathari ayeziindidi ezimbini, abagqibeleleyo kunye namakholwa. Abagqibeleleyo kwakufuneka kuqala benze isithethe sokubhaptizwa ngomoya, esasibizwa ngokuba yiconsolamentum. Oku kwakusenziwa ngokubekwa izandla, ngemva kokulingwa kangangonyaka. Esi sithethe kwakucingelwa ukuba sasikhulula lowo ulingwayo kulawulo lukaSathana, simhlambulula kuso sonke isono, size sidlulisele umoya oyingcwele kuye. Oku kwabangela ukuba isibizo esithi “ogqibeleleyo,” sisetyenziswe kwiqaqobana elalingabalungiseleli bamakholwa. Abagqibeleleyo babesenza izifungo zokuzikhwebula kwizinto ezithile, zokuhlala benyulu, nezobuhlwempu. Ukuba utshatile, ogqibeleleyo wayemele alishiye iqabane lakhe, ekubeni amaCathari ayekholelwa ekubeni iintlobano zesini zazisisono sokuqala.

Amakholwa yayingabantu ababesithi, ngoxa bengaphili ubomi bokuzibandeza uyolo, sekunjalo bazamkele iimfundiso zamaCathari. Ngokuguqa ehlonela ogqibeleleyo kwisithethe ekuthiwa yimelioramentum, ikholwa lalicela ukuxolelwa kwesono nentsikelelo. Ukuze akwazi ukuphila ubomi bawo obuqhelekileyo, amakholwa atyikitya iconvenenza okanye isivumelwano nabagqibeleleyo sokuba kubekho ilungiselelo lokubhaptizwa ngomoya, okanye iconsolamentum, xa ubani elele elukhukweni lokufa.

Isimo Sawo Sengqondo NgeBhayibhile

Nangona amaCathari ayecaphula kakhulu eBhayibhileni, ngokuyintloko ayeyigqala njengencwadi yamabali neentsomi. Ayecinga ukuba inxalenye enkulu yeZibhalo zesiHebhere yayivela kuMtyholi. Ayesebenzisa iinxalenye ezithile zeZibhalo zesiGrike, njengeendinyana ezazithelekisa inyama nomoya, ukuze axhase intandabulumko yawo yomntu onomzimba womoya nowenyama. KuMthandazo weNkosi, ayethandazela “isonka sethu esibaluleke ngokugqithiseleyo” (okuthetha “isonka sokomoya”) endaweni ‘yesonka sethu semihla ngemihla,’ ngokwembono yawo isonka sokoqobo sasiyinto ethile engendawo eyimfuneko.

Iimfundiso ezininzi zamaCathari zazingqubana ngokucacileyo neBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, ayekholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo nasekuveleni ngokutsha. (Thelekisa INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekile 18:4, 20.) Kwakhona ayesekele iimfundiso zawo kwiindinyana ezingaphefumlelwanga. Noko ke, ukusa kumlinganiselo othile, amaCathari ayenza iBhayibhile yayincwadi eyaziwayo kumaXesha Aphakathi, ekubeni aguqulela iinxalenye ezithile zeZibhalo ukusa kulwimi lomthonyama.

Ayengengawo AmaKristu

Abagqibeleleyo babezigqala bekufanelekela ukungena ezihlangwini zabapostile yaye, ekugqibeleni bazibiza ngokuba “ngamaKristu,” begxininisa koku ngokongezelela ibinzana elithi “okwenyaniso” okanye “alungileyo.” Noko ke, eneneni iinkolelo ezininzi zamaCathari zazahlukile kwezamaKristu. Ngoxa amaCathari ayemamkela uYesu njengoNyana kaThixo, ayeyikhaba ngawo omane into yokuba wayenomzimba wenyama nokuba wayelidini lentlawulelo. Ekuqonda phosakeleyo ukugweba kweBhayibhile inyama nehlabathi, zonke izinto zokwenyama ayezigqala njengezingendawo. Ngoko ke abambelela kwelokuba uYesu wayenokuba nomzimba wokomoya kuphela nokuba ngoxa wayesemhlabeni wayebonakala nje ngathi unomzimba wenyama. Njengabawexuki benkulungwane yokuqala, amaCathari ayengabantu “abangamvumiyo uYesu Kristu esiza esenyameni.”—2 Yohane 7.

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Medieval Heresy, uM. D. Lambert ubhala esithi ubuCathari “bakhuthaza ngendlela yokunyanzelisa ubomi bokuzibandeza uyolo kunendlela yokuziphatha okuhle kwamaKristu, . . . bachasa ukukhululwa ezonweni ngokwala ukwamkela ukuba [ukufa kukaKristu] kunamandla asindisayo.” Ucinga ukuba “abagqibeleleyo babetsaleleke gqitha kubefundisi baseMpuma ababezibandeza uyolo, kwiimonki ezihambahambayo ezingamaBhuda nezingamaHindu zaseTshayina okanye eIndiya, nakwiingcali zemimangaliso kaOrpheus, okanye abefundisi bobuGnostiki.” Ngokwenkolelo yamaCathari, usindiso lwaluxhomekeke, kungekhona kwidini lentlawulelo likaYesu Kristu, kodwa kwiconsolamentum, okanye ukubhaptizwa ngomoya oyingcwele. Ngaloo ndlela abo bahlanjululweyo, ukufa kwakuya kubakhulula kumzimba wenyama.

IMfazwe Yomnqamlezo Engengcwele

Abantu abaqhelekileyo, bekruqukile ziimfuno ezigqith’ emgceni nokungaziphathi kakuhle kwabefundisi okwakuxhaphakile, batsaleleka kwindlela yokuphila yamaCathari. Abagqibeleleyo babeyijonga iCawa yamaKatolika kunye neenkokeli zayo ‘njengesikhungu sikaSathana’ ‘nonina wamahenyukazi’ ochazwe kwiSityhilelo 3:9 nese–17:5. UbuCathari babusanda yaye buyibhukuqa icawa kumazantsi eFransi. Intsabelo kaPopu Innocent III yaba kukuseka aze axhase ngemali oko kwakubizwa ngokuba yiMfazwe Yomnqamlezo yaseAlbi, imfazwe yokuqala yomnqamlezo eyayiququzelelwe yiNgqobhoko nxamnye nabantu ababezibiza ngokuba bangamaKristu.

Upopu waxhokonxa ookumkani, amadoda azizityebi, iinkosi nezithwalandwe ezingamaKatolika zaseYurophu ngeeleta nangokuthumela amasekela akhe. Wathembisa ngokuhlawulelwa kwezono nangobutyebi baseLanguedoc kubo bonke abo babeza kulwela ukucim’ igama abaqhekeki “nangayiphi na indlela.” Ikhwelo lakhe lamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu. Umkhosi wamajoni omnqamlezo angumxube asuka kumntla weFransi, eFlanders naseJamani wehla ngeNtlambo yaseRhône usingise emazantsi ukhokelwa ngamasekela kapopu neemonki zamaKatolika.

Ukutshatyalaliswa kweBéziers kwaba sisiqalo semfazwe yoloyiso eyatshabalalisa iLanguedoc ngomlilo nangokuphalazwa kwegazi. IAlbi, iCarcassonne, iCastres, iFoix, iNarbonne, iTermes neToulouse zonke zawela ezandleni zamajoni omnqamlezo awayenxanelwe igazi. Kwiindawo zamaCathari ezinjengeCassès, iMinerve, neLavaur, amakhulu abagqibeleleyo atshiswa emithini. Ngokutsho kombhali oyimonki wencwadi engengxelo yeziganeko uPierre des Vaux-de-Cernay, amajoni omnqamlezo ‘echwayitile ayetshisa abagqibeleleyo bephila.’ Ngowe-1229, emva kweminyaka engama-20 yomlo nentlekele, iLanguedoc yaba phantsi koLawulo lwaseFransi. Kodwa imbubhiso yayingekapheli.

Ukuncinwa Kwamakholwa Kuqengq’ ugodo

Ngowe-1231, uPopu Gregory IX wamisela ukuba iNkundla yokuNcina Amakholwa ixhase umzabalazo wezigalo.a Ekuqaleni inkqubo yokuncinwa kwamakholwa yayisekelwe ekugxekweni nasekunyanzelisweni yaza, kamva, yaba yinkqubo yokungcungcuthekisa. Injongo yayo yayikukutshayela kuthi tu oko ikrele lalingakwazanga ukukutshabalalisa. Abagwebi beNkundla yokuNcina Amakholwa—inkoliso yabo eyayingoonongendi abangamaDominic namaFrancis—babelawulwa ngupopu kuphela. Ukubulawa ngokutshiswa yayisisohlwayo esisemthethweni kubaqhekeki. Loo nzondelelo yempambano kunye nenkohlakalo yabo babencina amakholwa yabangela ukuba kuqhambuke imvukelo, phakathi kwezinye iindawo, eAlbi naseToulouse. EAvignonet, onke amalungu eNkundla Yokuncina Amakholwa abulawa.

Ukunikezela kwawo kwinqaba ekwintaba yaseMontségur, ngowe-1244, eyayikukuphela kwendawo yokubalekela kwabagqibeleleyo abaninzi, yaba kukubhangiswa kobuCathari. Amadoda nabafazi abamalunga nama-200 batshatyalaliswa ngokutshiswa emithini. Kangangeminyaka, iNkundla yokuNcina Amakholwa yayizingela amaCathari asaseleyo. Ngokutsho kwengxelo umCathari wokugqibela watshiselwa emthini eLanguedoc ngowe-1330. Incwadi ethi Medieval Heresy ithi: “Ukuphela kobuCathari kwakululoyiso olubalulekileyo lweNkundla Yokuncina Amakholwa.”

Ngokuqinisekileyo amaCathari ayengengawo amaKristu okwenyaniso. Kodwa ngaba ukugxeka kwawo iCawa yamaKatolika kwakwenza kwafanelekela ukutshayelwa kwawo ngenkohlakalo ngabo babizwa ngokuba ngamaKristu? Abatshutshisi nababulali bawo abangamaKatolika bamhlazisa uThixo noKristu baza babumela kakubi ubuKristu njengoko babengcungcuthekisa yaye bebulala amashumi amawaka abo babenezimvo ezahlukileyo zonqulo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 28]

ABALANDELI BAKAWALDO

Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-12 C.E., uPierre Valdès, okanye uPeter Waldo, umrhwebi owayefumile waseLyons, waxhasa ngemali ukuguqulelwa kokuqala kweenxalenye zeBhayibhile kwiilwimi zasekuhlaleni zaseProvence, ulwimi lomthonyama oluthethwa kumazantsi nakumzantsi-mpuma weFransi. Lo wayengumKatolika onyanisekileyo, owashiya ishishini lakhe waza wazinikela ekushumayeleni iVangeli. Ephoxekile ngenxa yokonakala kwabefundisi, amanye amaKatolika amaninzi amlandela aza aba ngabashumayeli abahambahambayo.

Kungekudala uWaldo wajamelana nentiyo eyayivela kubefundisi basekuhlaleni, abathi baphembelela upopu ukuba amvale umlomo ukuze angashumayeli esidlangalaleni. Ngokwengxelo impendulo yakhe yayisithi: “Simelwe kukuthi sive uThixo kunokuba sive abantu.” (Thelekisa IZenzo 5:29.) Ngenxa yokuzingisa kwakhe, uWaldo wasikwa ecaweni. Abalandeli bakhe, ababebizwa ngokuba ngaBalandeli bakaWaldo, okanye Amahlwempu aseLyons, ngenzondelelo bazabalazela ukulandela umzekelo wakhe, beshumayela ngababini emakhayeni abantu. Oku kwaphumela ekusasazekeni ngokukhawuleza kweemfundiso zabo kuwo onke amazantsi, impuma nakwiindawo ezithile kumntla weFransi, nakumantla eItali.

Ngokuyintloko, babekhuthaza ukubuyiselwa kweenkolelo namasiko amaKristu okuqala. Phakathi kwezinye iimfundiso, ayengavisisani nemfundiso yentlambululo-miphefumlo, ukuthandazela abafi, ukunqulwa kukaMariya, ukuthandaza “kwiingcwele,” ukunqulwa komnqamlezo, ukuhlawulelwa kokuxolelwa kwezono, idini leMisa nobhaptizo lweentsana.b

Iimfundiso zaBalandeli bakaWaldo zazingavisisani ngokupheleleyo neemfundiso ezingezozabuKristu zamaCathari zokuba umntu unomzimba ongokomoya nongokwenyama ngokufuthi abafaniswa nawo. Oku kubhidana ngokuyintloko kwabangelwa ngabahlaseli bonqulo abangamaKatolika abathi ngabom bazama ukufanisa iintshumayelo zaBalandeli bakaWaldo neemfundiso zaBemi baseAlbi, okanye amaCathari.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Abantu abangama-7 000 bafa kwiCawa yaseSt. Mary Magdalene eBéziers, apho amajoni omnqamlezo abulala ama-20 000 amadoda, abafazi nabantwana