Cyril Lucaris​—Mwamuna Yemwe Anaona Baibulo Kukhala Lofunika

Linali tsiku la m’chilimwe m’chaka cha 1638. Asodzi m’nyanja ya Marmara pafupi ndi Constantinople (Istanbul wamakono), likulu la Ufumu wa Ottoman, anachita mantha kuona mtembo ukuyandama m’madzi. Atauyang’anitsitsa, anazindikira ndi mantha aakulu kuti thupilo linali la mkulu wa mabishopu mu Constantinople, mtsogoleri wa tchalitchi cha Orthodox. Ameneŵa anali mapeto omvetsa chisoni a Cyril Lucaris, munthu wotchuka kwambiri m’zachipembedzo wa m’zaka za zana la 17.

LUCARIS anamwalira mwamsanga kotero kuti sanathe kuona zomwe iye ankafunitsitsa ataona, monga kutulutsidwa kwa Baibulo la Malemba Achigiriki Achikristu m’Chigiriki chosavuta kumva zikuchitikadi. Lucaris sanathenso kuona kuchitika kwa chinthu chinanso chomwe ankachilakalaka. Iye ankafunitsitsa ataona Tchalitchi cha Orthodox chikubwerera kukhalanso “chogwirizana bwino ndi Uthenga Wabwino.” Kodi mwamuna ameneyu anali yani? Kodi anakumana ndi zipsinjo zotani pa kuyesayesa kumeneko?

Kunyansidwa ndi Kuchepa kwa Maphunziro

Cyril Lucaris anabadwa m’chaka cha 1572, m’mzinda wa Candia (Iráklion wamakono), womwe unkalamulidwa ndi Venice ku Crete. Pokhala wanzeru, iye anaphunzira ku Venice ndi Padua mu Italy ndipo kenako anayenda m’malo osiyanasiyana m’dzikolo ndi m’mayiko enanso. Atakwiyitsidwa ndi mikangano ya magulu a m’tchalitchi ndiponso atakopeka ndi magulu okonzanso zinthu ku Ulaya, ayenera kuti anakacheza ku Geneva, komwe panthaŵiyo chiphunzitso cha Calvin chinali champhamvu.

Akucheza ku Poland, Lucaris anaona kuti mamembala a Tchalitchi cha Orthodox kumeneko, ansembe ndi anthu wamba omwe, anali m’mkhalidwe wauzimu womvetsa chisoni kwambiri chifukwa cha kuchepa kwa maphunziro awo. Atabwerera ku Alexandria ndi ku Constantinople, anachita mantha kuona kuti ngakhale maguwa enieniwo, pomwe ankaŵerengera Malemba, anali atachotsedwa m’matchalitchi ena!

M’chaka cha 1602, Lucaris anapita ku Alexandria, komwe anakaloŵa m’malo mwa mbale wake, Mkulu wa Mabishopu Meletios, pa udindo umenewo. Kenako anayamba kugwirizana ndi akatswiri osiyanasiyana a zaumulungu omwe anali ndi malingaliro ofuna kukonzanso zinthu mu Ulaya. M’kalata imodzi mwa makalata amenewo, analemba kuti Tchalitchi cha Orthodox chikulimbikirabe kuchita zinthu zolakwika. M’makalata ena, anagogomezera kufunika kwakuti tchalitchi chichotse miyambo ndikuti m’malo mwake ayambe “kugwirizana bwino ndi Uthenga Wabwino” ndi kudalira pa umboni wa Malemba okha basi.

Lucaris analinso wodabwa kwambiri kuona kuti udindo wauzimu wa Abambo a Tchalitchi unali kutsatiridwa monga momwe amachitira ndi mawu a Yesu ndi atumwi. Iye analemba kuti: “Sindingathe kungomvetsera mopirira  zonena za anthu zakuti zonenedwa m’miyambo ya anthu n’zamphamvu chimodzimodzi ndi Malemba.” (Mateyu 15:6) Anawonjezera kuti, m’malingaliro mwake, kulambira mafano kunali koopsa kwambiri. Iye anaona kuti kupempha thandizo kwa “oyera mtima,” kunali kuchitira mwano Mtetezi, Yesu.​—1 Timoteo 2:5.

Mpando Wachifumu wa Mkulu wa Mabishopu Utsatsidwa Malonda

Malingaliro amenewo, limodzi ndi kudana kwake ndi Tchalitchi cha Roma Katolika, zinapangitsa kuti Lucaris ayambe kudedwa ndi kuzunzidwa ndi Ajezwiti ndi enanso omwe anali a mu Tchalitchi cha Orthodox momwemo amene ankafuna mgwirizano ndi Akatolika. Ngakhale kuti panali chitsutso chimenecho, Lucaris anasankhidwa kukhala mkulu wa mabishopu mu Constantinople m’chaka cha 1620. Udindo wokhala mkulu wa mabishopu m’Tchalitchi cha Orthodox panthaŵiyo unali kulamulidwa ndi Ufumu wa Ottoman. Boma la Ottoman linali ndi ufulu wochotsa mkulu wa mabishopu ndi kuikapo wina watsopano m’malo mwake ngati atapereka ndalama.

Adani a Lucaris, makamaka Ajezwiti ndi bungwe loopsa la papa lotchedwa Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Mpingo Wofalitsa Chikhulupiriro), unapitirizabe kum’nenera mabodza ndi kum’chitira ziwembu. “Pofuna kukwaniritsa cholinga chimenechi Ajezwiti anagwiritsa ntchito njira ina iliyonse monga chinyengo, kujeda, kusyasyalika komanso, yoposa zonsezi, ankapanga ziphuphu, zomwe kwenikweni zinali chida chawo champhamvu chopambanira pa kupeza chiyanjo kwa atsogoleri a boma [la Ottoman],” linatero buku lakuti Kyrillos Loukaris. Zotsatira zake zinali zakuti, m’chaka cha 1622, Lucaris anam’pitikitsira ku chilumba cha Rhodes, ndipo Gregory wa ku Amasya anagula udindowo ndi ndalama zasiliva zokwana 20,000. Komabe, Gregory ankalephera kupereka mtengo umene analonjezawo, chotero Anthimus wa ku Adrianople anagula udindowo, koma pambuyo pake anautula pansi. Chodabwitsa chinali chakuti Lucaris anabwezeretsedwa pa mpando monga mkulu wa mabishopu.

Lucaris anatsimikiza mtima kugwiritsa ntchito mwayi watsopanowu kuphunzitsa atsogoleri achipembedzo cha Orthodox ndi okhulupirira ena mwa kufalitsa Baibulo lotembenuzidwa ndi mathirakiti azaumulungu. Kuti zimenezi zitheke, iye anakonza zogula makina osindikizira ndi kuwabweretsa ku Constantinople ali otetezeredwa kudzera mwa kazembe woimira dziko la England. Komabe, makinawo atafika mu June 1627, adani a Lucaris anamuimba mlandu wogwiritsa ntchito makinawo pazifukwa zandale, ndipo pambuyo pake anawawononga. Tsopano Lucaris anafunika kugwiritsa ntchito makina osindikizira a ku Geneva.

Baibulo Lotembenuzidwa la Malemba Achikristu

Ulemu waukulu umene Lucaris anali nawo pa Baibulo ndi mphamvu yake yakuphunzitsa zinasonkhezera kufunitsitsa kwake kuti apangitse mawu a Baibulo kukhala omveka bwino kwa anthu wamba. Iye anazindikira kuti chinenero chomwe chinagwiritsidwa ntchito m’mipukutu yoyambirira yolembedwa pamanja, youziridwa ya Baibulo lachigiriki, sichinalinso chomvetsetseka kwa anthu wamba. Choncho buku loyambirira limene Lucaris analamula kuti litembenuzidwe linali Baibulo la Malemba Achigiriki Achikristu m’Chigiriki cha m’nthaŵi yake. Maximus Callipolites, mmonke wophunzira, anayamba kugwira ntchito imeneyo mu March 1629. Anthu ambiri achipembedzo cha Orthodox ankalingalira kuti kutembenuza Malemba ndiko kuchita monkitsa, ngakhale kuli kwakuti mawu achigiriki chakalewo n’ngwosamveka bwino kwa oŵerenga. Pofuna kukhazikitsa bata, Lucaris anachititsa kuti malemba oyambirira ndi matembenuzidwe amakonowo asindikizidwe limodzi m’ndime zoyandikana, ndi kuwonjezera timawu pang’ono. Popeza kuti Callipolites anamwalira atangopereka kumene mipukutu, Lucaris mwiniyo ndi amene anaŵerenga ndi kukonzetsa zotembenuzidwazo. Baibulo limenelo linasindikizidwa patangopita nthaŵi yochepa kuchokera pamene Lucaris anamwalira m’chaka cha 1638.

Mosasamala kanthu kuti Lucaris anali atachenjezeratu pasadakhale, Baibulo limenelo linatsutsidwa ndi mabishopu ambiri. Chikondi cha Lucaris pa Mawu a Mulungu chinaoneka mowonjezereka m’mawu oyambirira a Baibulo limenelo. Iye analemba kuti Malemba, olembedwa m’chinenero chimene anthu amalankhula ali “uthenga wokoma, wopatsidwa kwa ife kuchokera kumwamba.” Iye analimbikitsa anthu “kudziŵa ndi kuzoloŵerana ndi mawu onse a [m’Baibulo]” ndipo ananena kuti palibe njira inanso yophunzirira za “zinthu zimene zimakhudza chikhulupiriro molondola . . . kupatulapo kupyolera mwa Uthenga Wabwino ndi woyera wa Mulungu.”​—Afilipi 1:9, 10.

Lucaris anadzudzula mwamphamvu awo amene ankaletsa kuphunzira Baibulo, komanso omwe ankatsutsa kutembenuzidwa kwa mawu oyambirirawo kuti: “Ngati tikulankhula kapena kuŵerenga osamvetsa bwino, zili ngati kuponya mawu athu kumphepo.” (Yerekezani ndi 1 Akorinto 14:7-9.) Kumapeto  kwa mawu ake oyambirirawo analemba kuti: “Pamene nonsenu mukuŵerenga Uthenga Wabwino wa Mulungu ndi woyera umenewu m’chinenero chanuchanu, pezani mapindu ochokera m’kuŵerengako, . . . ndipotu Mulungu apitirizebe kuunikira njira yanu ku chomwe chili chabwino.”​—Miyambo 4:18.

Kupereka Umboni wa Chikhulupiriro

Atayambitsa kutembenuzidwa kwa Baibulo, Lucaris anachitanso zazikulu zina. M’chaka cha 1629 ku Geneva anafalitsa buku lakuti Confession of Faith [Kupereka Umboni wa Chikhulupiriro]. Anali mawu akeake a zikhulupiriro zomwe iye ankalingalira kuti Tchalitchi cha Orthodox chidzazigwiritsa ntchito. Malinga n’kunena kwa buku lakuti The Orthodox Church [Tchalitchi cha Orthodox], buku la Confession of Faith “linavula ziphunzitso zonse za Orthodox za unsembe ndi maudindo oyera n’kukhala opanda tanthauzo, ndiponso linafotokoza kumvetsa chisoni kwa kulemekeza zojambulidwa ndi kupembedza oyera mtima monga mitundu ya kulambira mafano.”

Buku la Confession linali ndi mitu yokwana 18. Mutu wake wachiŵiri unatsimikizira kuti Malemba n’ngouziridwa ndi Mulungu ndikuti umboni wake umaposa wa tchalitchi. Uwo umati: “Timakhulupirira kuti Malemba Oyera n’ngoperekedwa ndi Mulungu . . . Timakhulupirira kuti mphamvu ya Malemba Oyera ili pamwamba pa mphamvu ya Tchalitchi. Kuphunzitsidwa ndi Mzukwa Woyera n’chinthu chosiyana kwambiri ndi kuphunzitsidwa ndi munthu.”​—2 Timoteo 3:16.

Mutu wachisanu ndi chitatu komanso wa khumi ukunenetsa kuti Yesu Kristu ndiye yekha amene ali Mkhalapakati, Mkulu wa Ansembe, ndi Mutu wa mpingo. Lucaris analemba kuti: “Timakhulupirira kuti Ambuye wathu Yesu Kristu wakhala kudzanja lamanja la Atate Wake ndipo kumeneko Iye akuchonderera m’malo mwathu, akumadzitengera mpando wa Mkulu wa Ansembe woona ndi woikidwa ndiponso mkhalapakati.”​—Mateyu 23:10.

Mutu wa nambala 12 ukumveketsa bwino kuti tchalitchi chingasochere, chikumatenga bodza kukhala zoona, koma kuunika kwa mzimu woyera kungawupulumutse kupyolera mwa ntchito za atumiki okhulupirika. M’mutu nambala 18, Lucaris akupitiriza kunena kuti purigatoriyo ndi nkhambakamwa chabe.  Iye anati: “Pali umboni wakuti nthano ya Purigatoriyo siyenera kuvomerezedwa.”

Kumbali ya zowonjezera ya buku la Confession kuli mafunso ndi mayankho angapo. Kumeneku choyamba Lucaris akugogomezera kuti Malemba ayenera kuŵerengedwa ndi wina aliyense wa okhulupirika ndikuti n’zoopsa kuti Mkristu adzilephera kuŵerenga Mawu a Mulungu. Kenako iye anawonjezera kuti mabuku owonjezera m’Baibulo ayenera kupeŵedwa.​—Chivumbulutso 22:18, 19.

Funso lachinayi n’lakuti: “Kodi zifanizo zojambulidwa tiyenera kuziona motani?” Lucaris akuyankha kuti: “Timaphunzitsidwa ndi Malemba a Mulungu Opatulika, omwe amanena momveka bwino kuti, ‘Usadzipangire iwe wekha fano losema, kapena china chilichonse chofanana ndi zinthu za m’thambo la kumwamba, kapena cha padziko lapansi pano; usazipembedzere izo, kapena usazilambire izo; [Eksodo 20:4, 5]’ popeza kuti tikufuna kulambira, osati cholengedwa, koma Mlengi yekha ndi Mpangi wa kumwamba ndi dziko lapansi, ndipo Iye yekhayo ndiye woyenera kulambiridwa. . . . Kulambira ndi kutumikira [zithunzi], kulambira maonekedwe a mitundu, zosemasema, ndi zolengedwa, timakupeŵadi, monga momwe kwaletsedwera . . . m’Malemba Opatulika, ndipo m’malo mwake timalambira Mlengi ndi Mpangi.”​—Machitidwe 17:29.

Ngakhale kuti Lucaris sankazindikira mokwanira zinthu zonse zolakwika m’nyengo ya mdima wauzimu yomwe iye anakhalamo, * anayesetsa mwamphamvu zedi kuti Baibulo likhale umboni pa ziphunzitso za tchalitchi ndi kuphunzitsa anthu ziphunzitso zake.

Atangotulutsa Confession limenelo, chitsutso chinanso chatsopano pa Lucaris chinabuka. M’chaka cha 1633, Cyril Contari, mtsogoleri wa mzinda wa Beroea (Aleppo wamakono), mdani weniweni wa Lucaris yemwe ankathandizidwa ndi Ajezwiti, anayesa kupereka ziphuphu kwa a Ottoman kuti atenge mpando wa mkulu wa mabishopu. Komabe, cholingacho chinadzalephereka pamene Contari analephera kupereka ndalama. Lucaris anapitirizabe kukhala paudindowu. Chaka chotsatira Athanasius wa ku Tesalonika anapereka ndalama zasiliva pafupifupi 60,000 kugula udindowo. Lucaris anachotsedwanso paudindowu. Koma mwezi usanathe anaitanidwa ndi kum’bwezeretsa pa udindo wake. Panthaŵiyi n’kuti Cyril Contari atasungira ndalama zake zasiliva zokwana 50,000. Nthaŵi ino Lucaris anam’thamangitsira ku Rhodes. Miyezi isanu ndi umodzi itatha, abwenzi ake anayesetsa kuti iye abwezeretsedwe.

Komabe, m’chaka cha 1638, Ajezwiti ndi anzawo a Orthodox anadzudzula Lucaris kuti ankafuna kuukira ufumu wa Ottoman. Panthaŵi ino mfumu yakumeneko inalamula kuti aphedwe. Lucaris anamangidwa, ndipo pa July 27,1638, anamukweza bwato laling’ono kukhala ngati akumuthamangitsira ku dziko lina. Bwatolo lidakali panyanjapo, anaphedwa mwa kupotoledwa. Mtembo wake unakwiriridwa pafupi ndi gombe, pambuyo pake anaufukula ndi kuuponya m’nyanja. Unapezedwa ndi asodzi ndipo kenako unaikidwanso m’manda ndi omwe anali abwenzi ake.

Phunziro kwa Ife

“Tisaiwale mfundo yakuti chimodzi mwa zolinga zikuluzikulu za [Lucaris] chinali kuzindikiritsa ndi kukweza maphunziro a atsogoleri ake a chipembedzo ndi nkhosa, omwe m’zaka za zana la 16 ndi kumayambiriro kwa zaka za zana la 17 anali ataloŵeratu pansi,” akutero katswiri wina wa zamaphunziro. Zipsinjo zambiri zinalepheretsa Lucaris kukwaniritsa cholinga chake. Anachotsedwa kasanu pa udindo wa mkulu wa mabishopu. Patapita zaka 34 kuchokera pamene iye anamwalira, sinodi ya ku Yerusalemu inanyoza kwambiri chikhulupiriro chakecho akumati n’chakunja. Iwo anati Malemba “ayenera kuŵerengedwa, osati ndi wina aliyense, koma ndi okhawo omwe akusuzumira m’zinthu zakuya za mzimu pambuyo popanga kafukufuku woyenerera,” kutanthauza kuti atsogoleri achipembedzo okha omwe ankaŵatenga ngati ophunzirawo.

Kachiŵirinso, gulu la mpingo wolamulirawo linapondereza zoyesayesa zakuti Mawu a Mulungu apezeke kwa nkhosa zawo. Analetsa mwachiwawa liwu limene linatchula zophophonya za zikhulupiriro zawo zosakhala za Baibulozo. Anasonyeza kukhala adani amphamvu a ufulu ndi choonadi za chipembedzo. Chomvetsa chisoni n’chakuti ameneŵa ndi malingaliro omwe m’njira zosiyanasiyana akupitirizabe ngakhale m’nthaŵi yathu ino. Chimenechi n’chikumbutso chofunika kuchiganizira kwambiri cha zomwe zimachitika pamene ziwembu zosonkhezeredwa ndi atsogoleri achipembedzo zitsendereza ufulu wa kuganiza ndi kufotokoza zakukhosi.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 29]

Lucaris anayesayesa mwamphamvu zedi kuti Baibulo likhale maziko a ziphunzitso za matchalitchi ndi kuphunzitsa anthu ponena za ziphunzitso zake

[Bokosi/​Chithunzi patsamba 28]

Lucaris ndi Codex Alexandrinus

Chimodzi mwa zinthu zofunika koposa mu nyumba yosungiramo mabuku ya British Library ndicho Codex Alexandrinus, mpukutu wa Baibulo wa m’zaka za zana lachisanu C.E. Masamba 773, mwa masamba ake 820 omwe liyenera kuti linali nawo poyambirira, asungidwa.

Pamene Lucaris anali mkulu wa mabishopu ku Alexandria, m’dziko la Egypt, anali ndi mabuku ambirimbiri. Atakakhala mkulu wa mabishopu ku Constantinople, iye anatenga Codex Alexandrinus n’kupita nalo komweko. M’chaka cha 1624, analipereka kwa kazembe woimira dziko la Britain ku Turkey monga mphatso kwa Mfumu ya Angelezi, James I. Pambuyo pa zaka zitatu analipereka kwa yemwe analoŵa m’malo mwake, Charles I.

M’chaka cha 1757, laibulale ya Mfumu yotchedwa Royal Library inaperekedwa ku dziko la Britain, ndipo tsopano codex yabwinoyi ikuonetsedwa mu John Ritblat Gallery m’nyumba yatsopano yosungiramo mabuku ya British Library.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Gewerbehalle, Vol. 10

Chotengedwa mu The Codex Alexandrinus in Reduced Photographic Facsimile, 1909

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 26]

Bib. Publ. Univ. de Genève