Inkinga YamaKatolika

ISONTO lamaKatolika kumanje libhekene nezinkinga ezimbili ngokuphathelene noDeveli. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kumelwe libhekane nokuthambekela okuphakathi kwamaKatolika osuku lwanamuhla kokungabaza ukuba khona kukaDeveli. Kanti ngakolunye, kumelwe lilwisane nokudlanga kokuxoshwa kwamademoni okungemthetho ngokuwaqalekisa.

UPapa John Paul II wakhumbuza intsha engamaKatolika ukuthi kumelwe ithathe uDeveli ngokungathi sína. Encwadini ayibhalela yona, wathi: “Akumelwe nesabe ukubiza isisebenzi sokuqala sobubi ngegama laso: oMubi. Siye sasebenzisa futhi sisaqhubeka sisebenzisa amasu okungazidaluli.”

Ngokufanayo, ukhadinali uJoseph Ratzinger, umphathi weBandla Elingcwele Lemfundiso Yokholo, eRome, wathi: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abefundisi abangaqondi kahle bangathini, ngokwenkolelo yobuKristu, udeveli ungumuntu oyindida kodwa ongokoqobo, futhi ongewona nje umfanekiso. Ungumuntu ongokoqobo nonamandla.”

Ukhadinali Ratzinger wazwakalisa nokukhathazeka okukhulu ngemihlangano ehlobene noSathane engagunyaziwe eqhutshwa amaKatolika emazweni amaningi. Encwadini yangomhla kaSeptember 29, 1985, eyayiya kubo bonke ababhishobhi bamaKatolika emhlabeni jikelele, wabhala: “Iminyaka eminingana, emaqenjini athile amasonto, kuqhutshwa imihlangano yemithandazo eminingi ngokwengeziwe ngenjongo yokukhulula abantu ethonyeni lamademoni.” Wakhumbuza lezikhulu ukuthi ngokomthetho wesonto, imihlangano enjalo akumelwe iqhutshwe ngaphandle kwemvume eqondile evela kumbhishobhi waleyondawo nokuthi imvume enjalo kumelwe inikezwe abapristi kuphela. Akukho-muntu ongeyena umpristi onegunya lokusho “amazwi afingqiwe esiqalekiso sokuxosha amademoni, kuSathane nezingelosi eziphansi.”

Iphephandaba laseFrance iLe Figaro labika: “‘Ukwanda’ kokuxosha amademoni ngokuwaqalekisa nemisebenzi emelene noSathane kuye kwavela obala phakathi nezinyanga ezimbalwa eNtaliyane, ikakhulukazi eTurin, lapho ukhadinali Anastasio Ballestrero esanda kumisa khona abaxosha amademoni ngokuwaqalekisa abayisithupha abasha.” Libheka lendaba ngokombono womhlaba wonke, iphephandaba laseParis i-International Herald Tribune labhala: “Ukuba nesithakazelo ekubeni khona okungenzeka kukaSathane eTurin kumane nje kuyingxenye yengxoxo ebanzi phakathi kweSonto LamaRoma Katolika ngokwenziwa samuntu kobubi okubhekiselwe kubo ngokuhlukahlukile emiBhalweni nasemfundisweni yesonto ‘njengenkosi yalelizwe,’ ‘amandla obumnyama,’ ‘inyoka endala,’ ‘umhlebi.’”

Ilungu lomphakathi wezifundiswa zaseFrance uJean Dutourd lenza okunye ukukhulumela okuthakazelisayo ngokungatshazwa kosuku lwanamuhla kobukhona bukaSathane—ngisho nangabayizikhulu zamaKatolika. Labhala ephephandabeni laseFrance iL’Est Républicain: “Ukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu akuthandwa kulezinsuku, kodwa cishe kuyavunywa. Nokho, ukukholelwa kuDeveli kubhekwa njengokuhlekisa ngokuphelele. Ukuphathwa nje kwegama elithi Sathane . . . kuzihlekisa kakhulu izihlakaniphi, abezomnotho, abezombangazwe, futhi ngokungangabazeki, nenani eliphawulekayo lababhishobhi. Ukugegetheka kwabo kungimangaza ngokwengeziwe ngoba kubonakala sengathi uDeveli ubesibheka ngelinye iso kusukela ngo-1914.”

Uma amaKatolika, kuhlanganise nabanye abefundisi, kudingeka bakhunjuzwe upapa nabanye ukuthi uSathane ukhona ngempela, ingabe akungenxa yokuthi lelisonto emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka beligcizelela kakhudlwana isiko, ifilosofi, nezimfundiso zesayensi ezingenabufakazi kuneBhayibheli?

Okushiwo ngenhla ngo-1914 kufaneleka ngempela. Lowonyaka uphawulwe esiprofethweni seBhayibheli njengoqalisa ‘izinsuku zokugcina’ lapho uDeveli, ‘njengombusi wezwe,’ enza umzamo wakhe wokugcina wokuba onakalise sonke isintu. (2 Thimothewu 3:1; Johane 14:30) Njengoba inguqulo yeBhayibheli lamaKatolika ikubeka: “Iyeza inhlekelele—ngoba udeveli wehlele kini ethukuthele, azi ukuthi unesikhathi esincane esisele.” AmaKatolika aqotho enza kahle ukuba amukele ubufakazi beBhayibheli. Ngani? Ngoba izimo zezwe namuhla zifakazela ukuthi “umbuso kaNkulunkulu useduze.”—IsAmbulo 12:7-12; Luka 21:25-31, The New Jerusalem Bible.

Njengoba lowoMbuso uthembisa ukuqeda konke ukungalungi nezimbangela zakho, ukususwa kukaDeveli nabalandeli bakhe kuseduze. Nokho, abantu abaziyo ukuthi uDeveli ukhona kuphela abangamelana nokubusa kwakhe futhi babe nethemba lokusinda. Kanjani? Hhayi ngokuxosha amademoni ngokuwaqalekisa, kodwa kunalokho, njengoba umphostoli uPawulu abhala, ngokuhloma ‘ngezikhali zonke zikaNkulunkulu.’ Yebo, iZwi likaNkulunkulu licacile: “Melanani noSathane, khona uyakunibalekela.”—Efesu 6:11-18; Jakobe 4:7.

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

UDeveli namademoni akhe balahlelwé emhlabeni.—IsAmbulo 12:9, 12

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

Picture Book of Demons and Witchcraft/Ernst and Johanna Lehner/Dover