Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule
Ingxenye 15—1095-1453 C.E.—Ukuphendukela Ekusebenziseni Inkemba
“Abantu bayaphikisana ngenkolo, babhale ngayo, bayilwele, bayifele; kodwa bangaphili ngayo.”—Charles Caleb Colton, umfundisi oyiNgisi wekhulu le-19 leminyaka
UBUKRISTU eminyakeni yabo yokuqala babubusiswe ngamakholwa ayephila ngenkolo yawo. Ekuvikeleni ukholo lwawo, ahloma ngentshiseko ‘inkemba kamoya eyiZwi likaNkulunkulu.’ (Efesu 6:17) Kodwa kamuva, njengoba izenzakalo phakathi kuka-1095 no-1453 zabonisa, amaKristu okuzisholo, angaphili ubuKristu beqiniso, aphendukela ekusebenziseni ezinye izinhlobo zezinkemba.
Ngekhulu lesithupha leminyaka, uMbuso waseNtshonalanga wamaRoma wawufile. Wawuthathelwe indawo ingxenye yawo yaseMpumalanga, uMbuso waseByzantine neConstantinople njengenhlokodolobha yawo. Kodwa amasonto abo abandlululanayo, ekhathazwa ubuhlobo obuntengantengayo kakhulu, ngokushesha azibona esongelwa isitha amelene naso, ukubusa okwanda ngokushesha kobuSulumane.
Kamuva, isonto laseMpumalanga lakuqaphela lokhu lapho ngekhulu lesikhombisa leminyaka amaSulumane enqoba iGibithe nezinye izingxenye zoMbuso waseByzantine eziseNyakatho Afrika.
Esikhathini esingaphansi kwekhulu leminyaka kamuva, isonto laseNtshonalanga lashaqiswa ukubona ubuSulumane budlulela kuyo yonke ingxenye yaseSpain naseFrance, bufinyelela ngamakhilomitha ayi-160 phakathi kweParis. AmaKatolika amaningi aseSpain aphendukela ebuSulumaneni, kuyilapho amanye amukela imikhuba yamaSulumane futhi amukela namasiko amaSulumane. Incwadi ethi Early Islam ithi “linengwe ukulahlekelwa kwalo, iSonto lasebenza ngokungaphezi phakathi kwamadodana alo aseSpain ukuze libhebhezele amalangabi empindiselo.”
Amakhulu amaningana eminyaka kamuva, ngemva kokuba amaKatolika aseSpain ayesezuze kabusha ingxenye enkulu yezwe lawo, ‘aphendukela abantu bawo ababeyizikhonzi zobuSulumane futhi abashushisa ngonya. Abaphoqa ukuba baphike ukholo lwabo, abakhiphela ngaphandle kwezwe, futhi athatha izinyathelo ezinqala ukuze asuse wonke amasiko obuSulumane baseSpain.’
Ukubukana Ngeziqu Zamehlo
Ngo-1095 uPapa uUrban II wayaleza amaKatolika aseYurophu ukuba athathe inkemba engokoqobo. UbuSulumane babuzodingiswa emazweni angcwele aseMpumalanga Ephakathi lawo eLobukholwa elazisholo ukuba namalungelo alo lodwa.
Umbono wempi “yokulunga” wawungemusha. Ngokwesibonelo, wawulethwe ekunakekeleni empini ngokumelene namaSulumane aseSpain naseSicily. Futhi okungenani iminyaka eyishumi ngaphambi kokunxusa kukaUrban, kusho uKarlfried Froehlich waseSikoleni Esiphakeme Semfundiso YeNkolo sasePrinceton, uPapa uGregory VII “wacabanga ngemilitia Christi ukuze alwisane nazo zonke izitha zikaNkulunkulu futhi kakade wayesecabange ngokuthumela impi eMpumalanga.”
Isenzo sikaUrban sasiwukusabela ngokwengxenye esicelweni sosizo esasivela kumbusi waseByzantine uAlexius. Kodwa njengoba ubuhlobo phakathi kwezingxenye zeLobukholwa zaseMpumalanga nezaseNtshonalanga babubonakala bethuthuka, kungenzeka futhi ukuthi upapa wayeshukunyiswe ithuba lokhu okwakulinikeza lokuhlanganisa kabusha amasonto amaRoma angezwani aseMpumalanga nawaseNtshonalanga. Nokho, wabiza umhlangano woMkhandlu waseClermont, owathi labo ababezimisele ukuhileleka kulomsebenzi “ongcwele” kwakumelwe banikezwe ukukhululeka kukho konke (ukuthethelelwa amacala ezono). Ukusabela kwaba okuqondile ngokungalindelekile. Amazwi athi “Deus volt” (“Kuyintando KaNkulunkulu”) aba isiqubulo esinikeza umdlandla eMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga.
Kwaqala uchungechunge lokuhlasela kwempi olwahlanganisa ingxenye enkulu yamakhulu amabili eminyaka. (Bheka ibhokisi ekhasini 24.) Ekuqaleni amaSulumane acabanga ukuthi abahlaseli kwakungamaByzantine. Kodwa ngemva kokuqaphela imvelaphi yabo yangempela, ababiza ngokuthi amaFranks, abantu baseJalimane kamuva iFrance eyethiwa ngabo. Ukuze abhekane nenselele “yalamaqaba” aseYurophu, umqondo wejihad, impi noma ukulwa okungcwele wakhula kumasulumane.
Uprofesa waseBrithani uDesmond Stewart uyaphawula: “Ngomfundi noma umhwebi ngamunye owatshala imbewu yempucuko yobuSulumane ngemfundiso nangesibonelo, kwakunesosha kulo ubuSulumane obabuwusizo lokuya empini.” Engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu le-12 leminyaka, umholi wamaSulumane uNureddin wayakhe ibutho lempi eliqeqeshiwe ngokuhlanganisa amaSulumane enyakatho Syria naseMesopotamia esenhla. Ngakho “njengoba amaKristu eNkathi Ephakathi athatha izikhali ukuze aqhubekisele phambili inkolo kaKristu, amaSulumane athatha izikhali ukuze aqhubekisele phambili inkolo yomProfethi,” kuqhubeka uStewart.
Yiqiniso, ukuqhubekisela phambili izinkolelo zenkolo kwakungewona amandla ashukumisayo ngaso sonke isikhathi. Incwadi ethi The Birth of Europe iphawula ukuthi ngabantu abaningi baseYurophu, Izimpi Zenkolo “zanikeza ithuba elinganqabeki lokuzuza udumo, noma ukuphanga, noma ukuveza imibuso emisha, noma ukubusa wonke amazwe—noma nje ukudlula ezintweni eziyisicefe ngokuzizuzela udumo ezintweni ezithakazelisayo.” Abathengisi baseItaly babona futhi ithuba lokumisa amabutho ahwebayo emazweni aseMpumalanga neMedithera. Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isisusa sasiyini, ngokusobala bonke babezimisele ukufela inkolo yabo—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwakusempini “yokulunga” yeLobukholwa noma kwakusempini “yokulunga” engcwele yamaSulumane.
Inkemba Iletha Imiphumela Engalindelekile
IEncyclopedia of Religion ithi, “nakuba iMpi Yenkolo yayingeyokulwa namaSulumane aseMpumalanga, intshiseko yamaButho Enkolo yaboniswa kumaJuda ayehlala emazweni lapho Abalweli Benkolo babanda khona, okungukuthi eYurophu. Isisusa esasithandwa Abalweli Benkolo kwakungesokuphindiselela ukufa kukaJesu, futhi amaJuda aba izisulu zokuqala. Lokushushiswa kwamaJuda kwenzeka eRouen ngo-1096, ngokushesha kwalandelwa ukubulawa kwabantu abaningi ngonya eWorms, eMainz, naseCologne.” Lokhu kwakumane kuyisandulela senzondo ngesizwe samaJuda sezinsuku zokuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwaseJalimane lobuNazi.
IziMpi Zenkolo zandisa futhi inzondo yaseMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga eyayilokhu ikhula kusukela ngo-1054, lapho uMfundisi uMichael Cerularius waseMpumalanga noKhadinali uHumbert waseNtshonalanga begodlelana amalungelo. Lapho Abalweli Benkolo befaka ababhishobhi baseLatin esikhundleni sabefundisi bamaGreki emadolobheni abawathumba, inzondo yaseMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga yaze yathinta ngisho nabantu abavamile.
Ukwehlukana phakathi kwawo womabili amasonto kwafinyelela umvuthwandaba phakathi neMpi Yenkolo Yesine lapho ngokukaHerbert Waddams owayenguMfundisi Omkhulu waseCanterbury wesonto laseNgilandi, uPapa Innocent III aba khona “umzenzisi.” Ngakolunye uhlangothi, upapa wayethukutheliswe ukuphangwa kweConstantinople. (Bheka ibhokisi ekhasini 18.) Wabhala: “iSonto lamaGreki lingalindelwa kanjani ukuba libuyele ekuzinikeleni eGunyeni lobuphostoli lapho libone abaseLatin bebeka isibonelo sobubi futhi benza umsebenzi kadeveli kangangokuthi futhi kakade ngesizathu esihle amaGreki awazonda ngaphezu kwezinja.” Ngakolunye uhlangothi, wasebenzisa ngokushesha amathuba azuzisayo ngokumisa umbuso waseLatin lapho ngaphansi kwegunya lomfundisi wasentshonalanga.
Ngemva kwamakhulu amabili eminyaka cishe okulwa okunganqamuki, uMbuso waseByzantine wawenziwe buthaka kakhulu kangangokuthi wawungasakwazi ukumelana nokuhlasela kwabantu baseTurkey bombuso weOttoman labo ngoMay 29, 1453, abagcina bethumbe iConstantinople. Umbuso wawugawuliwe hhayi nje ngenkemba yobuSulumane kodwa ngenkemba eyayiphethwe isonto elifanayo lombuso khona eRoma. Elobukholwa elihlukene lalinikeze ubuSulumane isisekelo esihle sokudlulela eYurophu.
Izinkemba Zezombangazwe Nokushushiswa
IziMpi Zenkolo zaqinisa isikhundla sobupapa sobuholi obungokwenkolo nobungokombangazwe. ‘Zanikeza opapa igunya lokulawula izindaba zokuphathwa kwezwe eYurophu,’ kubhala isazimlando uJohn H. Mundy. Ngokushesha “isonto laba uhulumeni omkhulu kakhulu waseYurophu . . . , [likwazi] ukuphatha amandla ezombangazwe ngaphezu kwanoma imuphi omunye uhulumeni waseNtshonalanga.”
Lokhu kuthatha izintambo zokubusa kwakwenzeke lapho uMbuso wamaRoma waseNtshonalanga uwohloka. Ngakho-ke isonto lalishiywe njengeliwukuphela kwamandla ahlanganisayo eNtshonalanga futhi laqala ukufeza indima enethonya ngokwengeziwe kwezombangazwe emphakathini kunokuba kwakwenza isonto laseMpumalanga, lelo ngalesosikhathi elalisengaphansi kombusi onamandla, umbusi ophakeme waseByzantine. Lokhu kuvelela okungokombangazwe isonto laseNtshonalanga elalinakho kwaqinisekisa ukuzisholo kwalo ngesikhundla esiphakeme sikapapa, umbono isonto laseMpumalanga ekwenqaba. Lapho livumela ukuthi upapa wayefanelwe udumo, isonto laseMpumalanga lakwenqaba ukuthi wayenegunya lokugcina emfundisweni noma esikhundleni.
Lishukunyiswa amandla ezombangazwe nokukholiseka okungokwenkolo okuqondiswe kabi, iSonto lamaRoma Katolika laphendukela enkembeni ukuze liqede ukuphikiswa. Ukuzingela izihlubuki ezingokwenkolo kwaba umsebenzi walo. Oprofesa bomlando uMiroslav Hroch noAnna Skýbová baseYunivesithi yaseKarls ePrague, eCzechoslovakia, bachaza indlela ukuQulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki, inkantolo ekhethekile eklanyelwe ukubhekana nabaphikisi, okwanqunywa ngayo: “Ngokuphambene nenqubo evamile, amagama ezimpimpi . . . kwakungamelwe embulwe.” UPapa uInnocent IV wakhipha umthetho “iAd extirpanda” ngo-1252, owawuvumela ukuhlushwa, “Ukushiswa esigxotsheni, okwakuyindlela evamile eyayisetshenziswa yokubulala abaphikisi ngekhulu le-13 leminyaka, . . . kwakuwuphawu, olubonisa ukuthi ngokunikeza loluhlobo lwesijeziso, isonto lalingenalo icala lokuchitha igazi.”
Abaquli bamacala ezihlubuki bajezisa amashumi ezinkulungwane zabantu. Ezinye izinkulungwane zashishwa esigxotsheni, okwaholela isazimlando uWill Durant ukuba siphawule: “Sivumela noma imaphi amaphutha okuloba kwesazi-mlando nalindelekile kumKristu, kumelwe sibale ukuQulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki . . . njengokuphakathi kwamabala amnyama kakhulu embhalweni ogciniwe wesintu oveza ubudlova obungaziwa kunoma isiphi isilwane.”
Izigigaba zokuQulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki zisikhumbuza amazwi kaBlaise Pascal, isazi sefilosofi nesayensi esingumFulentshi sekhulu le-17 leminyaka esabhala: “Abantu ababenzi neze ububi ngokuphelele nangokwenama okukhulu njengalapho bebenza ngesisusa esingokwenkolo.” Iqiniso liwukuthi ukushwiba inkemba yokushushisa abantu abakholelwa enkolweni ehlukile kuye kwaba uphawu lwenkolo yamanga kusukela uKayini abulala uAbela.—Genesise 4:8.
Bahlukaniswe lnkemba Yokungabi Nabunye
Ukungezwani okungokobuzwe nokuviva kwezombangazwe kwaholela ekushintshweni kwendawo yokuhlala kapapa isuka eRoma iya eAvignon ngo-1309. Nakuba yabuyiselwa eRoma ngo-1377, ngokushesha nje kamuva kwaba nombango oqhubekayo ngokukhethwa kukapapa omusha, uUrban VI. Kodwa iqembu elifanayo lokhadinali elammisa lamisa futhi nopapa oyimbangi uClement VII, owahlala eAvignon. Izinto zaba ezidida ngisho nangokwengeziwe ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-15 leminyaka, lapho esikhathini esifushane opapa abathathu babebusa ngesikhathi esifanayo!
Lesimo, esaziwa ngokuthi ukwahlukana kwaseNtshonalanga noma Okukhulu sapheliswa uMkhandlu waseConstance. Wasebenzisa isimiso, sokuthi umkhandlu unegunya eliphakeme lobufundisi, hhayi opapa. Ngakho, ngo-1417 umkhandlu wakwazi ukukhetha uMartin V njengopapa omusha. Nakuba lase limunye futhi, isonto lalenziwe buthaka ngokungathi sina. Nokho, naphezu kwezibazi zengozi opapa benqaba ukubona isidingo senguquko. NgokukaJohn L. Boojamra, Wasesikoleni Semfundiso Yenkolo YobuOrthodox saseSaint Vladimir, lokhu kwehluleka “kwabeka isisekelo seNguquko yekhulu leshumi nesithupha leminyaka.”
Ingabe Babephila Ngokwenkolo Yabo?
UMsunguli wobuKristu wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba benze abafundi kodwa akazange abatshele ukuba basebenzise amandla angokomzimba ekwenzeni kanjalo. Eqinisweni, waxwayisa ngokuqondile ukuthi “bonke abaphatha inkemba bayakubhubha ngenkemba.” Ngokufanayo, akazange ayale abalandeli bakhe ukuba baphathe kabi ngokomzimba noma ubani owayemelene nabo. Isimiso sobuKristu okwakumelwe sigcinwe kwakuyilesi: “Inceku kaKristu ayifanele ukulwa, kodwa mayibemnene kubo bonke, inesu lokufundisa, ibekezela, ibalaya ngomoya omnene abamelene nayo.”—Mathewu 26:52; 2 Thimothewu 2:24, 25.
Ngokuphendukela enkembeni engokoqobo yempi, ngokufanayo nasezinkembem’ ezingokomfanekiso zezombangazwe nokushushisa, eLobukholwa lalingalandeli ukuhola kwaLowo elalizisholo ukuba naye njengoMsunguli. Selibhidlizwe ukwehlukana kakade, lalisongelwa ukuwohloka ngokuphelele, UbuRoma Katolika “Babuyinkolo Eyayiyidinga Ngempela Inguquko.” Kodwa ingabe inguquko yayizofika? Uma kunjalo, nini? Ivela kubani? Umagazini wethu kaSeptember 8 uzositshela okwengeziwe.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 18]
Ingabe Kwakuyimpi Enhle YobuKristu?
Ingabe iziMpi ZeNkolo zaziyimpi enhle amaKristu ayeyalwe ukuba ayilwe?—2 Korinte 10:3, 4; 1 Thimothewu 1:18.
IMpi YeNkolo Yokuqala (1096-99) yaphumela ekunqotshweni kabusha kweJerusalema kanye nokumiswa kwemibuso emine yaseLatin eMpumalanga: uMbuso waseJerusalema, iZwe lase-Edessa, Inhlokodolobha yaseAntiyokiya, neZwe laseTripoli. Amazwi acashunwa isazimlando uH. G. Wells athi igazi labanqotshiwe lageleza ngokunqotshwa kweJerusalema: “Ukubulala kwakwesabeka; igazi labanqotshwa lageleza ezitaladini, kwaze kwaba yilapho abantu bebisha egazini njengoba babehamba. Ngokuhlwa, ‘bekhala ngokuchichima kwenjabulo,’ abalweli benkolo beza emNgcwabeni wokunyathela kwabo isikhamo sewayini, futhi babeka izandla zabo ezigcwele igazi ndawonye emkhulekweni.”
IMpi YeNkolo Yesibili (1147-49) yaqaliswa ngenxa yokunqotshwa kweZwe lase-Edessa amaSulumane aseSyria ngo-1144; yaphela lapho amaSulumane ngokuphumelelayo enqanda ukwanda “kwezihlubuki” zeLobukholwa.
IMpi YeNkolo Yesithathu (1189-92), yaqaliswa ngemva kokuba amaSulumane ethathe kabusha iJerusalema, elalinoRichard I, “Onenhliziyo Yebhubesi,” waseNgilandi njengomunye wabaholi bayo. Incwadi iEncyclopedia of Religion ithi yaphela ngokushesha ngenxa “yokungezwani, ukuxabana, nokuntuleka kokubambisana.”
IMpi YeNkolo Yesine (1202-4) yaphendulelwa ekuswelakaleni kwezimali eConstantinople zivela eGibithe; kwakuthenjiswe ukusekela ngokwezimali ukuze kusizwe ukumiswa kuka-Alexius ebukhosini, umbusi owumzenzisi waseByzantine owayedingisiwe. “Ukuphangwa [okuwumphumela] kweConstantinople Abalweli neNkolo kungokuthile lokho ubuOrthodox baseMpumalanga obungakaze neze bukukhohlwe noma bukuthethelele,” kusho iEncyclopedia of Religion inezela: “Uma noma iluphi usuku kumelwe lukhonjwe ngokumiswa okuqinile kokungezwani, olufaneleke kakhulu—nakanjani ngokunengqondo—unyaka ka-1204.”
IMpi YeNkolo Yabantwana (1212) yaletha ukufa ezinkulungwaneni zabantwana namajalimane namaFulentshi ngaphambi kwesikhathi.
IMpi YeNkolo Yesihlanu (1217-21), eyokugcina ngaphansi kokulawula kobupapa, yehluleka ngenxa yamaphutha abaholi nokungenela kwabefundisi.
IMpi YeNkolo Yesithupha (1228-29) yayiholwa uMbusi uFrederick II waseHohenstaufen, lowo uPapa uGregory IX ayemncishe amalunge lo esikhathini esidlule.
IMpi YeNkolo Yesikhombisa Neyesishiyagalombili (1248-54 no-1270-72) yayiholwa nguLouis IX waseFrance kodwa yaphela ngemva kokufa kwakhe eNyakatho Afrika.
[Isithombe ekhasini 17]
Indawo yamathuna amaJuda eWorms, eJalimane—isikhumbuzo Sempi yeNkolo Yokuqala