Umkhosi Oyingqayizivele We-Black Nazarene

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EPHILIPPINES

AKUVAMILE ukubona isixuku esikhulu njengalesi. Kodwa lapha eManila, lombukwane ungabonwa njalo ngo-January 9. Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zamaKatolika azinikele agcwele eSontweni laseQuiapo ePlaza Miranda, elinde ukuba kuqhamuke i-Black Nazarene.

‘I-Black Nazarene?’ uyabuza. Yebo, lesisithombe esingangomuntu sikaJesu Kristu ephethe isiphambano yisona esivelele kuloludwendwe oluyingqayizivele lolo ngokwencwadi ethi Filipino Heritage “ngokungangabazeki oluwukubonakaliswa okukhulukazi, okuwumbukwane . . . kwenkolo ethandwayo eZweni LobuKristu Okuwukuphela Kwalo e-Asia,” iPhilippines.

Udwendwe Olukhulu

Njengoba kuvuleka amasango esonto, lesisixuku sishaya ihlombe elikhulu lapho kuzwakala iziqhuma-mlilo. Isixuku sinikezwa izintambo ezimbili ezinde zokudonsa ikalishi okumi kulo i-Black Nazarene. Izikhonzi zilwela ukubamba lezizintambo. Lokhu kuyilungelo elikhulu kuzo. Abanye babambana ngezingalo bezama ukwenza indledlana ukuze kudlule udwendwe. Wonke amadoda awazifakile izicathulo, ngayinye igqoke isikibha futhi ibophe ithawula ekhanda noma entanyeni.

Esesiteji esimiswe eduze nesonto, ummemezeli usanda kuchazela isixuku esilindile imithetho ethile. Yinye into eyacaciswa ngokukhethekile: Odwendweni olukhulu, abesifazane abavunyelwe. Isizathu siba sobala njengoba i-Black Nazarene idonselwa kancane kancane egcekeni elikhulu; kuba nesiyaluyalu esikhulu.

Lesisixuku esivukwe amadlingozi sabakhulekeli selula izandla, siyasunduzana futhi siyadudulana, size sinyathelane ngomzamo omkhulu wokuthinta i-Black Nazarene. Amadoda ambalwa agibele ekalishini kumelwe asunduze abanye ebehlisa ezama ukuvikela lesisithombe kulesixuku esingalawuleki. Uma kungake kuvunyelwe abaningi kakhulu ukuba bagibele, isiteji singaketuka. Naphezu kwezinyathelo zokuqapha ezinjalo, lelikalishi liyaketuka ngezinye izikhathi, futhi kuthatha imizuzu engu-30 kuya ehoreni ukuphinde limiswe ngoba abantu abaningi kakhulu bazama ukuthinta lesisithombe.

Izibukeli ziklela emigwaqweni eyingcingo yaseQuiapo ukuze zibone i-Black Nazarene idluliswa kancance kancane kulesisifunda. Kuphakanyiswa amakhandlela njengophawu lokuzinikela kulesisithombe. Ezinye ziza nezithombe ezincane lapho zisuka ekhaya. Okuhambisana naloludwendwe amabhanela amakhulu aphawula amaqembu ahlukahlukene ezikhonzi ze-Black Nazarene.

Abanye kulesisixuku baphonsa amathawula namaduku kwenye yamadoda akhwele esiteji ne-Black Nazarene. Ibe seyisula ngawo umfanekiso noma isiphambano sawo bese iwaphonsa kubo. Ikholwa elihlabeke umxhwele libe selizisula ubuso ngethawula lalo. Ngemva kodwendwe olukhulu kulandela uhide lwezithombe, eziningi zazo eziyizithombe ezincane ze-Black Nazarene. Lapha kulondekile ukuba abesifazane bahlanganyele.

Ngalesosikhathi, esontweni, amakholwa, ikakhulukazi abesifazane, acela usizo ngenye indlela kuyi-Black Nazarene. Lapho engena emnyango, ajoyina uhide lwabanye abakhasa ngamadolo kancane kancane phakathi kwezihlalo zesonto beya e-altare.

Yini Evusa Lesisixuku Amadlingozi Kangaka?

Kuthiwa umfanekiso i-Black Nazarene uwumthombo wezimangaliso eziningi. U-Alberto oneminyaka eyishumi nambili ubudala uthi wayeya nogogo nomkhulu wakhe kulomkhosi ngoba ngaso sonke isikhathi i-Black Nazarene yayimnikeza noma yini ayeyicela ngomthandazo. UMauricio uthi wahlanganyela kuloludwendwe enethemba lokuthethelelwa izono zakhe kanye nokukhululeka ezinkingeni nasebunzimeni bokuphila kwansuku zonke.

Lapho uMauricio eqala ukujoyina loludwendwe, wayeneminyaka engu-24. Unyaka ngamunye wakwazi ukubamba izintambo ezidonsa lomfanekiso. Lapho eya okwesihlanu, wayenesifiso esikhulu ngempela sokukhwela ekalishini. Abanye babangane bakhe bamsiza wakhwela, lapho akwazi khona ukusula izinyawo ze-Black Nazarene ngethawula lakhe; wayesebuyela esixukwini ngokushesha. Lokhu kungokuhlangenwe nakho okubalulekile, abantu abaningi abagcina ngokuba nethemba lakho.

Umsuka Walomkhosi

Kuthiwa i-Black Nazarene ekuqaleni yabazwa umNdiya waseMexico (abanye bathi iwumsebenzi wombazi wasePhilippines noma eChina) futhi yalethwa eManila ngomkhumbi ngekhulu le-17. Izingcweti zayenza ingqayizivele ngokuyibaza ngokhuni olumnyama noma ngokupenda lomfanekiso ube nsundu, okufanelana nebala lesikhumba sabantu baseMexico nabasePhilippines. Ekhulwini le-18, i-Black Nazarene yagcinwa endaweni engcwele eQuiapo ngesicelo sikaBasilio Sancho, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseManila, owayibusisa. Khona-ke, engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu le-19, yathola isibusiso esivela kuPapa Pius VII.

Nokho, kwaze kwaba ngo-1923 lapho yaqala khona ukukhishwa ibe yingxenye yodwendwe olungokwenkolo olufinyelela emvuthwandaba emkhosini wesifunda saseQuiapo. Lemikhosi yezindwendwe iye yaqhubeka kusukela ngalesosikhathi.

Ingabe Kungabhekwa Njengokukhonza Izithombe?

Ngokuvamile, i-Black Nazarene ingabonwa endaweni yayo efasiteleni eduze nomnyango wesonto. Lelifasitela liphahlwe izibhebhe ezimbili ezibhalwe i-Sampung Utos, noma iMiyalo Eyishumi. Kwamanye amaKristu, lokhu kungase kubonakale kuhlekisa, njengoba umthetho wesibili eMiyalweni Eyishumi uthi: “Awuyikuzenzela isithombe esibaziweyo noma okuthile okufana nento esezulwini noma emhlabeni . . . Awuyikuzikhothamela noma uzikhonze.” (Eksodusi 20:4, 5, The Jerusalem Bible) Ingabe i-Black Nazarene ayisona isithombe esibaziwe esikhonzwa amaKatolika ashisekayo?

AmaKatolika amaningi ngeke akubheke ngaleyondlela. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Njengoba ukukhulekela okunikezwa isithombe kufinyelela futhi kuphelela kumuntu omelelwa yiso, ukukhulekela okufanayo okufanele lomuntu kunganikezwa lesithombe njengoba simelela umuntu.” Lokhu yilokho okuye kwashiwo amaKatolika amaningi asePhilippines—athi awakhulekeli umfanekiso, kodwa akhulukela uJesu Kristu, okuthiwa umelelwa yilomfanekiso. Ake sihlole lendlela yokucabanga okwesikhashana.

Eqinisweni, ukukhulekela okunjalo akugcini kumaKatolika. Sekungamakhulu eminyaka izinkolo zobuqaba zicabanga ngendlela efanayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokukaLactantius, uFata weSonto wekhulu lesine, amaqaba anjalo ayethi: “Asisabi izithombe ngokwazo, kodwa sisaba labobantu ezenziwe ngemifanekiso yabo, enikezelwe emagameni abo.”

Khona-ke, ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi imiyalo kaNkulunkulu ngokuphathelene nokukhulekelwa kwezithombe yayingasebenzi esimweni sawo? Ingabe ukucabanga okunjalo kungaba nengqondo lapho kuzama ukwenza iZwi likaNkulunkulu libe yize? Kakade, uma iningi labakhulekeli bezithombe licabanga ngalendlela, khona-ke yayenzelwe bani ngempela lemiyalo?

Khumbula ukuthi lapho uNkulunkulu enikeza uMose iMiyalo Eyishumi, ama-Israyeli ayemise ithole legolide futhi elikhothamela. Kungenzeka labantu abazange nakancane babheke lokho ababekwenza njengokukhulekela izithombe. Ezingqondweni zabo, lelithole lalimelela uJehova. (Eksodusi 32:4, 5) Kodwa ingabe kwamthokozisa yini uNkulunkulu lokho ababekwenza? Sifunda ukuthi uJehova wabe esethi kuMose: “Hamba wehle, ngokuba abantu bakho owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe benzile isono; baphambukile masinyane endleleni engabayala ngayo. Bazenzele ithole elibunjiweyo, balikhonza, balihlabela.”—Eksodusi 32:7, 8.

Omunye umbuzo okufanele ucatshangelwe ukuthi kunengqondo yini ukukhonza isithombe. IBhayibheli alikaze ligudle iguma ngalendaba. Lithi: “Abantu abanjalo bayiziwula ezingakwazi ezikwenzayo. Bavala amehlo abo nezingqondo zabo ukuba bangaboni iqiniso. Umenzi wezithombe akanakuhlakanipha noma ingqondo ngokuthi, ‘. . . Ngikhothamela isigodo!’”—Isaya 44:18, 19, Today’s English Version.

Ingabe Lesithombe Singazisiza Izikhonzi Zaso?

Omunye umpristi ongumKatolika wabhala: “Abantu ababeka ithemba labo emandleni e-Black Nazarene yaseQuiapo ngokuqinisekile banezizathu ezengeziwe zokuba nethemba kunalabo abathembela esicathulweni sehhashi noma unyawo lukanogwaja.”

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli lithi ngalezizithombe: “Uma umuntu ekhala kuso, asiyikumphendula, singamsindisi osizini lwakhe.” UJehova uNkulunkulu usitshela ngokusobala ukuthi “azinakukusiza.”—Isaya 46:7; Jeremiya 10:5; TEV.

Akungabazeki ukuthi amaKatolika ashisekayo anyathelanayo ngethemba lokuthinta i-Black Nazarene ‘ayamshisekela uNkulunkulu,’ kodwa “kungengokuqonda.” (Roma 10:2) Sikhuthaza bonke abanjalo ukuba bazuze ulwazi oluqondile ngokuhlola iZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli, kanjalo bamukele “ukukhonza okumhlophe okungenabala phambi kukaNkulunkulu uBaba.”—Jakobe 1:27.

[Izithombe ekhasini 16]

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