Imizamo Yokubumbana

Ngomlobeli wePhaphama! eFrance

IHLAZO! Yebo, ihlazo yilona elaqalisa umzabalazo wobumbano lwamasonto lomhlaba wonke (ecumenical movement). Ihlazo lani? Ihlazo ngombukwane odabukisayo eLobukholwa elawubonisa izwe labangemaKristu ngokuba indlu ehlukene yamelana yodwa.

Emhlanganweni wokuqala ngqá weWCC (World Council of Churches [uMkhandlu Wezwe WamaSonto]), usihlalo-jikelele wawo, uDkt. W. A. Visser ’t Hooft, wachaza: “SiwuMkhandlu WamaSonto, hhayi uMkhandlu weSonto elilodwa elingahlukene. Igama lethu libonisa ubuthakathaka bethu nehlazo lethu phambi kukaNkulunkulu, ngoba kungaba khona futhi kuneSonto elilodwa kuphela likaKristu emhlabeni.”

Iencyclopedia esanda kukhishwa yamaKatolika yesiFulentshi iyavuma: “Ukuqapheleka kwehlazo elibangelwa amasonto ahlukene kwaba sobala kakhulu phakathi nekhulu le-19 leminyaka. Lokhu kwakunjalo ikakhulukazi phakathi kwezithunywa zevangeli, ezikuzondana kwazo kwakuphikisana kakhulu neVangeli ezazizele ukulishumayela kwabangemaKristu. . . . Ukushaqeka okuwujuqu kwenzeka lapho kwakhiwa amamishini aseAfrika naseAsia okwakwenza kwakhanya bhá ukwehlukana phakathi kwama-​Kristu ayevimbela umsebenzi wokushumayela ivangeli.”

Ukuqala Kwawo

Igama elithi “ecumenical” lisuselwa egameni lesiGreki elithi oi·kou·meʹne (umhlaba owakhiwe). Umzabalazo wokuba munye kwamasonto omhlaba wonke, owaqalisa phakathi nekhulu le-19 leminyaka, uphokophelele ebunyeni bomhlaba wonke bamasonto eLobukholwa. Beqaphela ububi bokwehlukana phakathi kwamasonto, abashisekeli benguquko bahlela izinhlangano zamahlelo ahlukahlukene phakathi nekhulu le-19 leminyaka nasekuqaleni kwelama-20.

Izithunywa zevangeli ezathunyelwa ngaphandle ukuba ziyoguqula abangemaKristu zazizwela ngokukhethekile oqhekekweni olungaphakathi kweLobukholwa. Zazingasoze zawakhomba amakhasi omlando wesonto agcwele igazi njengobufakazi bokuphakama kwenkolo yazo. Zazingakuthethelela kanjani ukuba khona kwamasonto amaningi kangaka, wonke ezisholo ukuba amaKristu, kuyilapho ngesikhathi esifanayo ecaphuna uJesu noma umphostoli uPawulu, bobabili abagcizelela isidingo sobunye bobuKristu?​—⁠Johane 13:​34, 35; 17:​21; 1 Korinte 1:​10-⁠13.

Akungabazeki ukuthi lesisimo saholela ekumisweni komzabalazo wanamuhla wobumbano lwamasonto lomhlaba wonke, owabiza iNgqungquthela Yethu Yokuqala Yomhlaba Yezithunywa Zevangeli, e-Edinburgh, eScotland, ngo-1910. Kamuva ngo-1921, kwakhiwa uMkhandlu Wezizwe Zonke Wezithunywa Zevangeli. INew Catholic Encyclopedia iyaphawula: “UMkhandlu Wezizwe Zonke Wezithunywa Zevangeli awumiselwanga nje kuphela ukusakaza ukwaziswa ngezindlela eziphumelelayo zobuthunywa bevangeli, kodwa futhi nokunciphisa ihlazo lokuhlukana kwamaKristu ngokugwema ukuncintisana emazweni abantu abangemaKristu.”

Ukuzihlukanisa KwamaKatolika

Nokho, yini iSonto lamaRoma Katolika elayenza ukuze linciphise ihlazo lokuhlukana kwamaKristu? Ngo-1919 iSonto lamaKatolika lamenywa ukuba lihlanganyele engxoxweni yamasonto ahlukahlukene ngokuphathelene nokholo nokuhleleka, lapho kwakuyocatshangelwa khona ukwehlukana kwemfundiso nenkonzo. Kodwa uPapa Benedict XV wasenqaba lesimemo. Kwaphinda futhi, ngo-1927, iSonto lamaKatolika lathola isimemo sokuhlanganyela eNgqungqutheleni Yezwe Yokuqala Yokholo Nokuhleleka, eyayibanjelwe eLausanne, eSwitzerland. Izihambeli ezazivela emasontweni amaningana obuProtestani nawobuOrthodox zahlangana ukuze zixoxe ngezithiyo ezazivimbela ubunye, kodwa uPapa Pius XI wenqaba ukuvumela noma yikuphi ukuhlanganyela kwamaKatolika.

Esihlokweni sayo esikhuluma ngoPapa Pius XI iNew Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “UMnyango KaPapa waba nombono ophambene ngomzabalazo womhlaba wonke wobumbano lwamasonto weLobukholwa labangewona amaKatolika.” Lombono ophambene wadlulela enzondweni esobala lapho ngo-1928, upapa ekhipha incwadi yakhe eyayiqondiswe kubabhishobhi iMortalium animos. Kuyo wawulahla umzabalazo womhlaba wonke wobumbano lwamasonto futhi wanqabela amaKatolika ekuwusekeleni nganoma iyiphi indlela lomzabalazo.

Ngo-1948 kwakhiwa iWCC. Ekumisweni kwayo, amalungu ayo ayehlanganisa amasonto acishe abe ngu-150, iningi lawo kungamaProtestani. Amanye amasonto obuOrthodox baseMpumalanga ahlanganiswa, futhi kamuva amanye amasonto obuOrthodox azihlanganisa neWCC. Wonke lamasonto amukela njengesisekelo sokuba amalungu isimemezelo esithi: “UMkhandlu Wezwe WamaSonto uwubuzalwane bamasonto amukela iNkosi uJesu Kristu njengoNkulunkulu noMsindisi.” Naphezu kwalenkulumo-sisekelo ecacile kaZiqu-zintathu, uPapa Pius XII wasenqaba lesimemo sokuhlanganisa iSonto lamaKatolika nalomkhandlu lomzabalazo wobumbano lwamasonto womhlaba wonke.

Inguquko Phakathi KwamaKatolika?

UJohn XXIII, owakhethwa njengopapa ngo-1958 cishe eseneminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-77 ubudala, wayebhekwa amaKatolika amaningi njengomane nje engupapa di passaggio, noma upapa wesikhashana. Ngenxa yalokho, wavula amafasitela aseVatican kwangena umoya wenguquko kangangokuba nanamuhla usabangela ukudideka kumaKatolika. Ekuqaleni kuka-1959, esinye sezinqumo zokuqala zikaPapa John, kwakuwukubizela ndawonye umkhandlu wobumbano lwamasonto lomhlaba wonke, lokho ngokwenkulumo yamaKatolika, okwakusho umhlangano omkhulu wababhishobhi balo lonke iSonto lamaKatolika.

Okokuqala, injongo yalombuthano “kwakuwukwenza isonto livumelane nesikhathi,” futhi okwesibili, “kwakuwukuvula indlela eholela ekuhlanganisweni kabusha kwabazalwane abahlukene baseMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga emhlanjini owodwa kaKristu.” Ngokuvumelana nalenjongo yesibili, uPapa John XXIII ngo-1960 wamisa iNhlangano Yokuthuthukisa Ubunye BobuKristu eVatican. Lokhu kwamenyezelwa “njengokuqashelwa kokuqala okungokomthetho kokuba khona komzabalazo womhlaba wonke wobumbano lwamasonto iSonto lamaRoma Katolika.”

Umoya wenguquko ngokuqinisekile wabonakala uvunguza ngempela. Kodwa ingabe isiGungu samaRoma, iqembu elinamandla lesigaba sabefundisi esakha uhulumeni ophethe wesonto sasivumelana nalezinguquko? Futhi uma kunjalo, wawuwuyini umqondo waso ngobunye bobuKristu?