Ukuphulukana nokudideka

ILIZWI NGOKU NGOKUFUNDA KWENKOSI
kaJanuwari 24, 2014
Isikhumbuzo seSt. Francis de Sales

Imibhalo yeLigugu Apha

INTONI iCawa ifuna kakhulu namhlanje, utshilo uPapa Francis, “kukukwazi ukupholisa amanxeba kunye nokuzifudumeza iintliziyo zabathembekileyo… icawa ndiyibona njengesibhedlele sentsimi emveni kwedabi.” ^[1]cf. americamagazine.org, Septemba 30, 2013 Ngelishwa, abanye babantu bokuqala abonzakeleyo ukusukela oko kwaqala ubupapa bakhe amaxhoba odideko, ubukhulu becala amaKatolika “agcina isithethe” ayedidekile ngamazwi nezenzo zikaBawo oyiNgcwele ngokwakhe. ^[2]cf. Ukungaqondi kakuhle uFrancis

Inyani yile yokuba uPope Francis enze kwaye wathetha izinto ezithile ezifuna ukucaciswa okanye ezishiye umphulaphuli ezibuza, "Wayethetha ngabani?" ^[3]cf. “UMichael O'Brien upopu uFrancis nobuFarisi obutsha” Umbuzo obalulekileyo ngulo njani ngaba kwaye ngaba umntu kufuneka aphendule kwiinkxalabo ezinjalo? Impendulo iphindwe kabini, ityhilwe kufundisiso lwanamhlanje: okokuqala kwinqanaba lokuphendula ngokweemvakalelo, kwaye okwesibini, kwinqanaba lokuphendula ngokholo.

Even though Saul was hunting David down, when David had a chance to attack him, he refused. In fact, David felt badly for even cutting off the hem of Saul’s mantle while he was sleeping.

The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him, for he is the LORD’s othanjisiweyo. (Ufundo lokuqala)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus chose His twelve Apostles—and one of them was Judas Iscariot, the betrayer. To all of them, Jesus said:

Whoever listens to you listens to me… (Luke 10:16)

These men, and their successors, are likewise the Lord’s “anointed.”

… Oobhishophu ngeziko elingcwele bathathe indawo yabapostile njengabafundisi beCawe, ngendlela yokuba nabani na obamamelayo uphulaphula uKrestu kwaye nabani na obadelelayo uyamcekisa uKrestu nalowo wathumela uKristu. -Katekisiki yeCawa yamaKatolika, n. 862; cf. Acts 1:20, 26; 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 13:17

No one in the Church is beyond reproach if he is leading others into sin. Neither is the Holy Father immune to just criticism. But there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Even among his companions, David refused to disparage the king. And when David did have to something to say, he waited until he could say it to the king himself—and in the most respectful manner. His honor was ultimately directed toward God, because it was the Lord who appointed Saul as king.

Let’s face it, the central concern among Catholics is that, like Saul, Pope Francis may “kill” some part of Sacred Tradition thereby throwing the Church into a crisis and souls into apostasy. This notion is being reinforced today by widespread anti-papal evangelical prophecies and one Catholic “seer” in particular who goes by the name of “Maria Divine Mercy.” Of the latter, theologian Dr. Mark Miravalle has done a careful review of her grave claims, ^[4]cf. “Maria Divine Mercy: a Theological Evaluation” which do more than cut off an end of the Pope’s mantle, but completely tear away the dignity, honor, and promises attached to the office of Peter, “the rock.” It is this alleged “prophet”—not the Pope—who is creating real division within the Body of Christ. ^[5]See my analysis on “Maria Divine Mercy’s” anti-papal prophecies in Inokwenzeka… okanye akunjalo? kwaye Isiprofeto, iiPopu kunye nePicarretta

But could it happen? Could a legitimately elected pope—which Francis is—change Sacred Tradition? ^[6]cf. Inokwenzeka… okanye akunjalo? In 2000 years, with some rather evil popes at times, not one of them has ever done so, or rather, ndikwazile to. Why? Because it is Christ who is building His Church, not the Pope (Matt 16:18). It is the Holy Spirit who is leading her into all truth, not the Pope (Jn 16:13). It is the charism of infallibility belonging to the whole Church ^[7]cf. Katekisiki yeCawa yamaKatolika, n. I-92 that protects the truth, not the Pope ngomntu ngamnye. Because if the truth can be altered at any point along the timeline of the Church, then all of the above promises of Christ are empty words, and no one can be certain to know the truth after the Ascension of Christ.

That said, there have been popes and Church Fathers who baye fallen into personal error on matters of doctrine. Take Pope Honorius, for instance:

UPopu Honorius wagwetywa ngenxa ye-monothelitism liBhunga, kodwa wayengathethi ikhedarera, okt, ngokuqinisekileyo. Oopopu bazenzile kwaye benza iimpazamo kwaye oku akumangalisi. Ukungaphumeleli kugciniwe ikhedarera. Akukho papa kwimbali yeCawa abake benza ikhedarera iimpazamo. —ISityhi. UJoseph Iannuzzi, isazi ngezakwalizwi, kwileta yakhe

So Pope Francis is not immune to making mistakes—whether in casual remarks, personal books, or interviews. Hence, the reason we need to pray assiduously for the priesthood all the way to the top.

Perhaps Fr. Tim Finigan can remove some of the verbal shrapnel and “heal wounds” in a few casualties by putting our fiesty Latin American Pope’s comments into their proper perspective…

… Ukuba uyakhathazwa zezinye iingxelo ezenziwe nguPope Francis kudliwanondlebe lwakhe lwakutsha nje, ayikuko ukunganyaniseki, okanye kukusilela URomanita Ukungavumelani neenkcukacha zodliwanondlebe olunikwe ikhefu. Ngokwendalo, ukuba asivumelani noBawo oyiNgcwele, sikwenza oko ngentlonipho enzulu nokuthobeka, siqonda ukuba kungafuneka silungisiwe. Nangona kunjalo, udliwanondlebe lopapa aludingi kuvunywa kokholo olunikiweyo ikhedarera iingxelo okanye oko kungeniswa kwangaphakathi kwengqondo kunye nomyolelo onikwe ezo ngxelo ziyinxalenye yemagisterium yakhe engenakuphosakala kodwa eyiyo. —tutor in Sacramental Theology at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh; from The Hermeneutic of Community, “Assent and Papal Magisterium”, October 6th, 2013; http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.co.uk

Statements like this:

…faith is not negotiable. Among the People of God this temptation has always existed: to downsize faith, and not even by “much”… so we must must get the  better of the temptation to behave more or less ‘like everyone else’, not to be too, too rigid… it is from this that a path which ends in apostasy unfolds… when we begin to cut faith down, to negotiate faith and more or less to sell it to the one who makes the best offer, we are setting out on the road of apostasy, of no fidelity to the Lord. —UPOPA UFRANCIS, kwiMisa eSanctae Marthae, nge-7 ka-Epreli 2013; I-L'osservatore RomanoNge-13 ka-Epreli ngo-2013

Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17)

KUFUNDWA NGOKUBA

• Isibhedlele Somhlaba

• Ukungaqondi kakuhle uFrancis

• Inokwenzeka… okanye akunjalo?

• Upapa oMnyama?

• Who is “Maria Divine Mercy”? Read: “Maria Divine Mercy: The Woman Behind the Curtain”