ISonto LaseSheshi—Indlu Ehlukene Phakathi
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EGREAT BRITAIN
INGQUNGQUTHELA ye-13 yaseLambeth yeSonto LaseSheshi yaqhutshelwa eCanterbury ngo-1998 esontweni lombhishobhi elineminyaka engu-900 ubudala. Ekhuluma kule ngqungquthela, uMbhishobhi uWilliam E. Swing washo la mazwi anamandla: “Inkolo kufanele iyeke ukuba yinkinga futhi iqale ukunikeza ikhambi. Akusoze kwaba nokuthula phakathi kwezizwe uma kungenakuthula phakathi kwezinkolo.”
Kukhulu ngempela ukuhlukana okukhona phakathi kwezinkolo, njengoba kunjalo phakathi kwamalungu esifunda-mbhishobhi nabefundisi benkolo efanayo. Omunye umbhishobhi wenqaba ukuba khona kule ngqungquthela, ebilokhu iqhutshwa njalo ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi kusukela ngo-1948, ngenxa yokuthi kwakukhona ababhishobhi besifazane. Abanye ababekhona benqaba ukuhlanganyela ezingxoxweni zeBhayibheli nalaba besifazane.
Nakuba indaba yokugcotshwa kwabesifazane yayiphambili ezingxoxweni zengqungquthela yango-1988, ubungqingili babuyindaba esemqoka yempikiswano ngo-1998. Ekuphetheni, ababhishobhi bavumelana ngokuthi ubungqingili “bungqubuzana nemibhalo.” Bafinyelela kanjani kuleso sinqumo?
Kungenzeka ukuthi esinye sezici sasiwukuthi abaseSheshi babemagange ekuqiniseni ubuhlobo neSonto LamaRoma Katolika. Ngakho baqaphela ukuthi isonto labo lalingeke lilindele ithuba lokubonisana phakathi kwalezi zinkolo ezimbili uma liqhubeka lamukela “abefundisi abangongqingili.” Esinye isizathu esiyimbangela yalesi sinqumo kungenzeka ukwesaba ubuSulumane. Njengoba ababhishobhi base-Afrika bakubeka, ukukhipha izwi lesinqumo elivuna abapristi abangongqingili kwakuyoba “ukubulala ivangeli” emazweni obuSulumane.
Ikhuluma ngenye impikiswano eyabanga ukwahlukana kule ngqungquthela, i-Sunday Telegraph yabika: “Ezingxenyeni ezithile zase-Afrika, impikiswano eyinhloko esontweni yisithembu.” Ekhuluma ngenkinga abaseSheshi abaningi ababhekene nayo e-Afrika, umbhishobhi othile wathi: “Uma othile enikela imali eningi eSontweni kodwa ebe enesithembu, kwenziwa njani?” Iphawula ngomphumela olindelekile kule mpikiswano, i-Times yaseLondon yabika: “Ababhishobhi baseSheshi bayosishalazela leso sithembu.”
Ngokokuqala ngqá, ababhishobhi baseSheshi badingida ubuhlobo babo nobuSulumane. “Kunenzondo ejulile phakathi kwamaKristu namaSulumane eNigeria,” kubika umbhishobhi waseKaduna, eNigeria, ephawula ukuthi kuye kwafa abantu abangaphezu kuka-10 000 ezimpini zenkolo ezweni lakubo. Kwathiwa impi yenkolo e-Afrika ingagwenywa kuphela ngokuzuza ulwazi ngobuSulumane.
Liyini ikusasa labantu abayizigidi ezingu-70 emhlabeni wonke, abangamalungu esonto laseSheshi, ngokombiko othile ophikiswayo?a Isimo asisihle, ngoba njengoba i-Times yabika: “Le ngqungquthela iye yashiya izingqapheli eziningi nabahlanganyela kuyo bexakekile ngoba ngezinye izikhathi iye yafana nomhlangano wamaqembu ezombangazwe hhayi isonto lobuKristu elihlangene ngenjongo yomthandazo.”
Akumangalisi ukuthi i-Sunday Times yaphetha ngokuthi ‘lo mhlangano wawubuswa ubutha nengxabano.’
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Leli nani lezigidi ezingu-70 “lizwakala lilikhulu,” kusho i-Times, kodwa “ngokuvamile akuvezwa ukuthi kuleli nani, abayizigidi ezingu-26 bangabeSonto LaseNgilandi. Bangaphansi kwesigidi manje abantu abasaya esontweni lapha [eBrithani], kanti abanye bangamaSheshi ngegama nje.”
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
ICanterbury Cathedral, eneminyaka engu-900 ubudala