Amasonto Ababhishobhi—Ayizikhumbuzo Ezinikezelwe KuNkulunkulu Noma Kubantu?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EFRANCE

EMOSCOW, kuye kwaba novuko lohlobo oluthile. Isonto iChrist the Savior Cathedral, elabhujiswa uStalin ngo-1931, selivuselelwe, futhi uphahla lwalo oluyindilinga luyacwebezela eRussia. Edolobheni lase-Évry, eduze kwaseParis, izisebenzi zisanda kuqedela okuwukuphela kwesonto lombhishobhi elakhiwa eFrance phakathi nekhulu lama-20. Lokhu kwenzeka ngemva nje kweminyaka embalwa kunikezelwe isonto lombhishobhi lase-Almudena eMadrid. Ngokufanayo, eNew York City kunesonto lombhishobhi elaziwa ngokuthi iSt. John the Divine. Njengoba sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu lakhiwa, liye labizwa ngokuthi iSt. John the Unfinished. Noma kunjalo, lingelinye lamasonto ababhishobhi amakhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni, njengoba lihlanganisa indawo engaphezu kwamamitha-skwele angu-11 000.

Kulo lonke eLobukholwa, amasonto amakhulu ababhishobhi atholakala emadolobheni amaningi. Emakholweni, ayizikhumbuzo zokholo kuNkulunkulu. Ngisho nabangakholwa bangase bawazise njengezibonelo zobuciko bokwakha. Kodwa-ke, ukuba khona kwalezi zindlu zokukhulekela ezinkulu futhi ezimba eqolo kuphakamisa imibuzo engathi sína: Zakhiwelwani futhi kanjani? Zifeza yiphi injongo?

Liyini Isonto Lombhishobhi

Ngemva kokufa kukaKristu, abafundi bakhe bazihlela baba amabandla, amaningi awo ayehlangana emizini yabantu. (Filemoni 2) Amashumi eminyaka, la mabandla ayenakekelwa ‘amadoda amadala’ ngokomoya. (IzEnzo 20:17, 28; Heberu 13:17) Nokho, ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli, abantu baqala ukuhlubuka ebuKristwini beqiniso. (IzEnzo 20:29, 30) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, idlanzana labadala laziphakamisa ngaphezu kwabanye futhi laqala ukubhekwa njengababhishobhi abengamele amabandla amaningana—okuyinto uJesu ayexwayisile ngayo. (Mathewu 23:9-12) Igama elithi “isonto,” ekuqaleni elalibhekisela kumaKristu uqobo, lase liqala ukusebenza nasendaweni yabo yokukhulekela—isakhiwo ngokwaso. Ngokushesha abanye ababhishobhi baqala ukufuna amasonto afanelana nesikhundla sabo. Ngakho kwaqanjwa igama elisha elichaza isonto lombhishobhi—elithi cathedral (isonto lombhishobhi).

Leli gama livela egameni lesiGreki elithi kathedra, elisho “isihlalo.” Ngakho, isonto lombhishobhi laliyisihlalo sakhe sobukhosi, uphawu lwamandla akhe emhlabeni. Esesontweni lakhe, umbhishobhi wayengamela isifundabhishobhi.

“INkathi Yamasonto Ababhishobhi”

Ngo-325 C.E., uMkhandlu WaseNicaea wakuqaphela ngokomthetho ukugcotshwa kwababhishobhi emadolobheni. Njengoba manje base bexhaswa uHulumeni waseRoma, ababhishobhi babevame ukuzitholela izipho ezibizayo zendawo ezivela kuziphathimandla. Bathatha nezindawo eziningi zokukhulekela kwamaqaba. Lapho uMbuso WaseRoma uwa, izimiso zobufundisi zaqhubeka zikhona futhi zavelela kakhulu ngeNkathi Ephakathi. Ngokushesha leyo nkathi yaba yilokho isazi-mlando esingumFulentshi uGeorges Duby esikubiza ngokuthi “iNkathi Yamasonto Ababhishobhi.”

Kusukela ekhulwini lesi-7 kuya kwele-14, inani labantu baseYurophu landa ngokuphindwe kathathu. Lokhu kwanda komphakathi kwakuzuzisa amadolobha ngokuyinhloko, ngoba ayeqhubeka echuma. Ngenxa yalokho, kwakhethwa amadolobha acebile esifundeni sababhishobhi njengezindawo zokwakha amasonto ababhishobhi amakhulu. Ngani? Ngoba lezi zakhiwo ezinkulu zazingachuma kuphela endaweni lapho kunemali eningi khona!

Esinye isici esathuthukisa ukwakhiwa kwamasonto ababhishobhi kwakuwukuhlonishwa kabanzi kweNcasakazi uMariya nezikhumbuzo ezingokwenkolo zosanta. Lokhu kwaba kukhulu kunanini ngaphambili ekhulwini le-11 nele-12. Ababhishobhi bandisa ukukhulekela kwabo, kanjalo bakhulisa ukuthandwa kwamasonto abo. Isiqu esithi Notre-Dame (INkosazana Yethu) saqala ukuhlobisa amasonto ababhishobhi eFrance phakathi nalesi sikhathi. I-encyclopedia yamaKatolika i-Théo iyabuza: “Yiliphi idolobha elalingalinikezeli kuye isonto lalo nesonto lombhishobhi?” Ngakho isonto lombhishobhi laseSaint-Étienne eParis lanikezelwa kuNotre-Dame. Isonto likaNotre-Dame eChartres, eFrance, laba yisikhungo sokukhulekela esiyinhloko enyakatho yeYurophu. “Akukho muntu—ngisho noKristu ngokwakhe—owayebusa ukuphila nemicabango yabakhi bamasonto ababhishobhi ngokugcwele njengeNcasakazi uMariya,” kusho i-Horizon Book of Great Cathedrals.

“Sizokwakha Isonto Lombhishobhi Elikhulu . . . ”

Pho, kungani eziningi zalezi zakhiwo zazizinkulu kangaka? Ngisho nakudala ekhulwini lesine, amasonto ababhishobhi aseTrier, eJalimane naseGeneva, eSwitzerland, ayemakhulu, naphezu kwesibalo esincane kakhulu sabakhulekeli. Ekhulwini le-11, umphakathi waseSpeyer, eJalimane, wawungaligcwalisi isonto lombhishobhi elikhulu lendawo. Ngakho i-Horizon Book of Great Cathedrals iphetha ngokuthi “ubukhulu nobukhazikhazi [bamasonto ababhishobhi] kwembula izisusa eziningi ezingengcwele.” Phakathi kwazo “kwakuwukuqhosha okukhulu kombhishobhi noma umphathi owayengamele isifunda okwakuzokwakhiwa kuso lelo sonto.”

Phakathi nekhulu le-12 nele-13, amasonto ababhishobhi ayevame ukuba ngamamitha ayikhulu ukuphakama, kuhloswe ukuba abe nokuphakama okulingana nobude bawo. Isonto lombhishobhi laseWinchester, eNgilandi, elingamamitha angu-169 ubude kanye neDuomo yaseMilan, e-Italy, engamamitha angu-145 ubude, avelele kakhulu. Ngo-1402, isikhulu sesonto eSeville, eSpain, sathi: “Sizokwakha isonto lombhishobhi elikhulu kangangokuba labo abalibonayo lapho seliqediwe bayocabanga ukuthi sasisangene.” Eqinisweni, kuthiwa isonto lombhishobhi laseSeville lingelesibili ngobukhulu emhlabeni, njengoba linophahla olungamamitha angu-53 ukuphakama. Umbhoshongo wesonto lombhishobhi laseStrasbourg eFrance, ungamamitha angu-142 ukuphakama, ulingana nesakhiwo esinezitezi ezingu-40. Ekhulwini le-19, umbhoshongo wesonto lombhishobhi laseGothic Münster, e-Ulm, eJalimane, wawungamamitha angu-161 ukuphakama, okuwenza ube umbhoshongo wamatshe ophakeme kunayo yonke emhlabeni. “Azikho izimfuneko zokukhulekela ezivuna ukweqisa okukhulu kangaka,” kusho isazi-mlando uPierre du Colombier.

Phakathi nekhulu le-12 nele-13, abakhi bamasonto ababhishobhi basizakala ngesinye ‘isisusa esingengcwele’—ukushisekela amadolobha. I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Amadolobha ayencintisana ngokwakha isonto lombhishobhi eliphakeme kunawo wonke.” Amalungu emikhandlu-dolobha, izakhamuzi ezicebile nezinhlangano zezentengiselwano zaguqula amasonto ababhishobhi aba uphawu lwamadolobha azo.

Ayebiza Kudala, Asabiza Nanamuhla

Umlobi othile uchaza imisebenzi yokwakha amasonto ababhishobhi ngokuthi “umgodi ongenasiphelo ogwinya imali.” Pho, lezi zakhiwo—okubizayo ukuzinakekela ngisho nanamuhla—zazinakekelwa kanjani ngokwezimali esikhathini esidlule? Kwezinye izimo ababhishobhi, njengoMaurice de Sully waseParis, babezikhokhela bona ngemali yabo. Ngezinye izikhathi ababusi bezombangazwe, njengeNkosi uJames I wase-Aragon, babenakekela lezo zindleko. Kodwa ngokuvamile, kwakuyimali yesifundabhishobhi eyayinakekela amasonto ababhishobhi. Le mali yayihlanganisa intela yezingxabano nemali etholwa ngokudayisa indawo. Eqinisweni, uMbhishobhi waseBologna e-Italy wayengumnikazi weziza ezingu-2 000! Kule mali kwakunezelwa imali etholwa ngenkongozelo, ngokuthengiswa kwentethelelo nangokuhlawuliswa ngezono. ERouen, eFrance, labo ababethenga ilungelo lokudla imikhiqizo yobisi phakathi neLenti babekhokhela lokho okwakubizwa ngokuthi uMbhoshongo Webhotela esontweni lombhishobhi.

Abanye babenikela ngesandla esivulekile, futhi babehlonishwa ngokuthi imifanekiso yabo igcinwe esontweni emafasiteleni afekethisiwe nasezithombeni eziqoshiwe. Kusobala ukuthi isimiso sobuKristu sokupha ngasese sase silitshelwe. (Mathewu 6:2) Kwakudingeka imali njalo, ngoba imali yayisaphazwa ngaphezu kokulindelekile. Ngakho akumangalisi ukuthi ugqozi lokuqongelela imali lwaluvame ukuholela ekusaphazeni nasekuphangeni. Ngokwesibonelo, uma umuntu esolwa ngokuhlubuka, wayevame ukuphucwa impahla yakhe. Lokhu kwavula ithuba lokuphangwa kwabantu ababebizwa ngamambuka, njengamaCathari, futhi kwaxhaswa imisebenzi eminingana yokwakha amasonto.a

Kusobala ukuthi isonto kwakufanele licindezele abantu njalo ukuze lithole imali. Kwakungekhona ukuthi abantu babeshukumiseleka ukwakha izakhiwo ezinjalo—njengoba kusho ezinye izazi-mlando. Isazi-mlando uHenry Kraus sithi: “Nakuba iNkathi Ephakathi yayinabantu abathanda inkolo, ukwakhiwa kwamasonto kwakungeyona into eza kuqala kubantu.” Ngakho izazi-mlando eziningi zigxeka isonto ngokusaphaza kwalo. I-Horizon Book of Great Cathedrals iyavuma: “Imali isonto elayichitha ekwakheni ngabe yasetshenziselwa ukondla abalambile . . . noma ukunakekela izibhedlela nezikole. Ngakho, kungashiwo ukuthi amasonto ababhishobhi abulala amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu.”

Indlela Akhiwa Ngayo

Amasonto ababhishobhi awubufakazi bobuhlakani bomuntu. Kuyamangalisa ngempela ukuthi izakhiwo ezinkulu kangaka zakhiwa ngobuchwepheshe basendulo. Okokuqala, kwakudwetshwa amapulani okwakha anemininingwane. Ezinkwalini, kwakusetshenziswa iziboniselo ukuze kucophelelwe ezicini eziyimihlobiso nobukhulu obufanele bamatshe. La matshe ayephawulwa ngokucacile ukuze kuboniswe indawo yawo esakhiweni. Izinto zokuthutha zazithatha kancane futhi zibiza, kodwa noma kunjalo, isazi-mlando esingumFulentshi uJean Gimpel sithi ‘phakathi kuka-1050 no-1350, kwaqoshwa amatshe amaningi ezinkwalini zaseFrance kunaseGibithe lasendulo.’

Esizeni sokwakha, izisebenzi zazenza imisebenzi ebabazekayo zisebenzisa izinto zokufukula impahla zasendulo—izindophi nezingodo, ngokuvamile ezazihanjiswa amadoda ayeshova amasondo enziwe ngezingodo. Inqubo yokubala esetshenziswa onjiniyela namuhla yayingaziwa ngaleso sikhathi. Abakhi kwakufanele bathembele ekhonweni lemvelo nakulokho abase bekwazi kakade. Yingakho kwakuba namaphutha amaningi amakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1284, uphahla lwesonto lombhishobhi laseBeauvais, eFrance, lwalulukhulu kakhulu, ngakho lwawa. Nokho, imiklamo ethuthukile njengezinsika ezimile, imishayo evundlayo nophahla olubhangqiwe yavumela abakhi ukuba bakhe izakhiwo ezintsha eziphakeme.

Ukwakha kwakuthatha isikhathi esisukela eminyakeni engu-40 uma kusheshwa (eSalisbury, eNgilandi) kuya emakhulwini ambalwa eminyaka. Amanye amasonto, njengelaseBeauvais naseStrasbourg, eFrance, awazange aqedwe.

“Ukuphambaniswa Kwezinto Eziza Kuqala”

Lezi ‘zakhiwo ezinhle futhi ezimba eqolo,’ njengoba kusho uPapa uHonorius III, zabangela izimpikiswano zisuka nje. Amalungu esonto ayewugxeka lo msebenzi kanye nokuchithwa kwemali eningi. UPierre le Chantre, umbhishobhi wekhulu le-13 waseNotre-Dame de Paris, wathi: “Kuyisono ukwakha amasonto ngendlela okwenziwa ngayo manje.”

Ngisho nanamuhla isonto lombhishobhi lase-Évry, uma sibala nje elilodwa, lisagxekwa kakhulu. Njengoba kwabikwa ephephandabeni laseFrance i-Monde, abantu abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi amasonto ababhishobhi abonisa “ukuphambaniswa kwezinto eziza kuqala” nokuthi amasonto “kufanele atshale imali kubantu nasekushunyayelweni kwevangeli esikhundleni samatshe nemihlobiso.”

Akungabazeki ukuthi abaningi abahlanganyela ekwakheni lezi zakhiwo ezinkulu babemthanda ngobuqotho uNkulunkulu. Kusobala ukuthi abanjalo ‘babenentshiseko ngoNkulunkulu,’ kodwa hhayi “ngokolwazi olunembile.” (Roma 10:2) UJesu Kristu akazange asikisele ukuthi abalandeli bakhe bakhe izindlu zokukhulekela ezinkulukazi. Wakhuthaza abakhulekeli beqiniso ukuba “bakhulekele ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:21-24) Nakuba emahle, amasonto amakhulu eLobukholwa angqubuzana nalesi simiso. Angase abe yizikhumbuzo zabantu abawakha, kodwa awamkhazimulisi uNkulunkulu.

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Isonto lombhishobhi laseSantiago de Compostela, eSpain

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Phezulu: Ifasitela elifekethiswe ngembali likaNotre-Dame, eChartres, eFrance

Ngenhla: Umfanekiso wamatshe kaNotre-Dame, eParis

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Isonto lombhishobhi likaNotre-Dame langekhulu le-12, eParis

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Ingaphakathi lesonto lombhishobhi likaNotre-Dame, e-Amiens. Liyisakhiwo senkolo esikhulu kunazo zonke eFrance, njengoba linophahla olungamamitha angu-43 ukuphakama