Konsitantino Mukuru—Mbese, Yaharaniye Ubukristo?

Umwami w’Abami w’Abaroma, Konsitantino, ni umwe mu bantu bake bafite izina ryahinduwe n’amateka akarigira ryiza akoresheje ijambo “Mukuru.” Kristendomu yagiye yongeraho imvugo ngo “mutagatifu,” “intumwa ya cumi na gatatu,” “uwera uhwanye n’intumwa,” hamwe n’imvugo ngo ‘uwatoranyijwe n’Imana kugira ngo asohoze ihinduka rikomeye mu isi hose.’ Ku rundi ruhande, hari bamwe bavuga ko Konsitantino yari “umwicanyi, warangwaga n’ibikorwa byinshi by’ubwiyandarike kandi byuzuyemo ubucakura, . . . umunyagitugu uteye ubwoba, uryozwa ubwicanyi bw’agahomamunwa.’

ABANTU benshi biyita ko ari Abakristo, bigishijwe ko Konsitantino Mukuru yari umwe mu bantu bakomeye kurusha abandi bagiriye neza Ubukristo. Bamufata nk’aho ari we wakuye Abakristo mu mibabaro yaturukaga ku gutotezwa n’Abaroma, maze akabaha umudendezo wo mu rwego rw’idini. Byongeye kandi, abantu benshi cyane bemera ko yari umwigishwa wizerwa ugera ikirenge mu cya Yesu Kristo, wifuzaga cyane guteza imbere umuryango w’Ubukristo. Kiliziya y’Aborutodogisi y’i Burasirazuba hamwe na Kiliziya y’Abakopute, Konsitantino na nyina Helena zabagize “abatagatifu.” Umunsi mukuru wabo wizihizwa ku itariki ya 3 Kamena, cyangwa ku itariki ya 21 Gicurasi, hakurikijwe kalendari ya kiliziya.

Mu by’ukuri se, Konsitantino Mukuru yari muntu ki? Ni uruhe ruhare yagize mu Bukristo bwo mu bihe bya nyuma y’intumwa? Kureka amateka n’intiti bigasubiza ibyo bibazo, biratwigisha byinshi cyane.

Konsitantino wo mu Mateka

Konsitantino, mwene Constance Chlore, yavukiye i Naissus ho muri Serbia, ahagana mu mwaka wa 275 I.C. Igihe se yabaga umwami w’abami w’intara zo mu burengerazuba bwa Roma mu mwaka wa 293 I.C., yari arimo arwanira muri Danube, ayoborwa n’Umwami w’Abami Galère. Konsitantino yasubiye mu Bwongereza iruhande rwa se wendaga gupfa mu mwaka wa 306 I.C. Nyuma gato y’urupfu rwa se, Konsitantino yazamuwe mu ntera n’abasirikari ashyirwa ku rwego rw’umwami w’abami.

Icyo gihe, hari abandi bantu batanu bihandagazaga bavuga ko bari abami b’abami. Igihe cyo hagati y’umwaka wa 306 na 324 I.C., cyabaye igihe cy’intambara idatuza yashyamiranyije abenegihugu, nyuma y’icyo gihe Konsitantino akaba ari we wenyine wabaye umwami w’abami. Ugutsinda kwaturutse ku bikorwa bibiri bya gisirikari, kwatumye Konsitantino agira umwanya uhamye mu mateka ya Roma, kandi bituma aba umutegetsi mukuru rukumbi w’Ubwami bw’Abaroma.

Mu mwaka wa 312 I.C., Konsitantino yanesheje uwo bari bahanganye witwaga Maxentius, ku rugamba rwabereye i Milvian Bridge, ku nkengero za Roma. Abaharaniraga Ubukristo bihandagaje bavuga ko muri icyo gikorwa, munsi y’izuba habonetse umusaraba waka umuriro uriho amagambo y’Ikilatini In hoc signo vinces, asobanurwa ngo “tsinda binyuriye kuri icyo kimenyetso.” Nanone kandi, hari abemeza ko binyuriye mu nzozi, Konsitantino yabwiwe gushushanya inyuguti ebyiri zibanza z’izina rya Kristo mu Kigiriki, ku ngabo z’abasirikari be. Ariko kandi, iyo nkuru ifite amakosa menshi mu bihereranye n’urukurikirane rw’ibihe. Igitabo cyitwa A History of Christianity kigira kiti “hari ibintu bivuguruzanya ku bihereranye n’igihe nyakuri, aho byabereye n’ibindi bisobanuro birambuye ku birebana n’iryo yerekwa.” Mu kwakira Konsitantino i Roma, Ubuyobozi bukuru bwa gipagani bwamwise umutware Augustus na Pontifex Maximus, uwo akaba ari umutambyi mukuru w’idini rya gipagani ry’ubwami nyabami.

Mu mwaka wa 313 I.C., Konsitantino yakoze gahunda zo kwifatanya n’Umwami w’Abami Licinius, wategekaga intara zo mu burasirazuba. Binyuriye mu Itegekoteka ry’i Milan, bombi bemeje ibihereranye n’umudendezo wo gusenga n’uburenganzira bungana ku matsinda yose ya kidini. Ariko kandi, abahanga benshi mu by’amateka bapfobya agaciro k’iyo nyandiko, bavuga ko yari ibaruwa isanzwe y’ubutegetsi gusa, ko itari inyandiko y’ingenzi igaragaza ihinduka ry’imikorere ku birebana n’Ubukristo.

Mu myaka icumi yakurikiyeho, Konsitantino yatsinze uwo bari bahanganye wari usigaye, witwaga Licinius, maze aba umutegetsi udashidikanywa w’Abaroma. Mu mwaka wa 325 I.C., n’ubwo yari atarabatizwa, yayoboye konsili mpuzamatorero ikomeye ya mbere y’itorero rya “Gikristo,” yaciriyeho iteka Inyigisho za Arius, maze bategura inyandiko ikubiyemo imyizerere y’ingenzi yiswe Ihame rya Nicene.

Mu mwaka wa 337 I.C., Konsitantino yafashwe n’indwara ya simusiga. Muri icyo gihe yari arimo asamba, yarabatijwe maze nyuma y’aho arapfa. Nyuma y’urupfu rwe, Urwego rw’Inteko Ishinga Amategeko rwa Roma ya Kera, rwamushyize mu mana z’Abaroma.

Uruhare rw’Idini mu Mikorere ya Konsitantino

Igitabo cyitwa Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Amateka y’Ishyanga ry’u Bugiriki), cyerekeje ku buryo muri rusange abami b’abami b’Abaroma bo mu kinyejana cya gatatu n’icya kane babonaga ibyerekeye idini, kigira kiti “ndetse n’igihe ababaga bicaye ku ngoma y’ubwami babaga badafite ibitekerezo bya kidini byimbitse, kugira ngo bahuze n’imitekereze yiganje mu bantu, babonye ko ari ngombwa guha idini umwanya ukomeye mu miterere ya gahunda zabo za gipolitiki, kugira ngo nibura ibikorwa byabo bigire isura ya kidini.”

Nta gushidikanya, Konsitantino yari umuntu wabagaho mu buryo buhuje n’igihe cye. Mu ntangiriro z’umurimo we, yari akeneye inkunga runaka “ituruka ku mana,” kandi iyo nkunga ntiyashoboraga guturuka ku mana z’Abaroma zarimo zita agaciro. Ubwami hamwe n’idini ryabwo n’izindi nzego, bwari burimo bukendera, kandi ikintu runaka gishyashya kandi gifite imbaraga, cyari gikenewe kugira ngo kibukomeze. Inkoranyamagambo yitwa Hidria igira iti “Konsitantino yari ashishikajwe n’Ubukristo, cyane cyane bitewe n’uko butashyigikiye ugutsinda kwe gusa, ahubwo nanone bitewe n’uko bwashyigikiye ukwisuganya k’ubwami bwe. Amatorero ya Gikristo yari ahantu hose yari inkingi ye mu bya politiki. . . . Yari akikijwe n’abayobozi bakuru ba kidini b’icyo gihe . . . , kandi yasabye ko ubumwe bwabo bwasugira.”

Konsitantino yatekereje ko idini rya “Gikristo”—n’ubwo icyo gihe ryarangwaga n’ubuhakanyi kandi ryarononekaye cyane—ryashoboraga gukoreshwa mu buryo bugira ingaruka nziza nk’imbaraga igarurira ubuyanja kandi igahuza umugambi we wo gutegeka ari umwami w’abami. Mu gushyiraho imfatiro z’Ubukristo bw’abahakanyi kugira ngo abone inkunga mu guteza imbere intego ze bwite za gipolitiki, yafashe umwanzuro wo guhuriza hamwe abantu muri “gatolika” imwe, cyangwa idini yogeye hose. Imigenzo n’iminsi mikuru bya gipagani byahawe amazina ya “Gikristo.” Kandi n’abayobozi ba kidini ba “Gikristo” bazamuwe mu ntera, bongererwa imishahara n’ibyubahiro by’abatambyi b’abapagani.

Mu gushaka uguhuza mu birebana n’idini ku mpamvu za politiki, Konsitantino yihutiye kuburizamo amajwi ayo ari yo yose atavugaga rumwe na we, adashingiye ku byerekeye inyigisho z’ukuri, ahubwo ashingiye ku byemewe na benshi. Itandukaniro rikabije mu bihereranye n’imyizerere ryari muri itorero rya “Gikristo” ryari ryariciyemo ibice mu buryo bukomeye, ryamuhaye uburyo bwo kugira uruhare mu itorero, nk’aho yari umuhuza ‘watumwe n’Imana.’ Binyuriye ku mishyikirano yagiranye n’abayoboke b’inyigisho za Donati bo muri Afurika y’Amajyaruguru, hamwe n’abayoboke b’uwitwa Arius bo mu karere k’i burasurazuba bw’ubwami, ntiyatinze kubona ko ibitekerezo byemeza bitari bihagije kugira ngo hashingwe idini rikomeye, ryunze ubumwe.a Igihe yageragezaga gukemura impaka zihereranye n’inyigisho za Arius, ni bwo yahamagaje konsili mpuzamatorero ya mbere mu mateka ya kiliziya.—Reba agasanduku gafite umutwe uvuga ngo “Konsitantino na konsili ya Nicée”

Ku birebana na Konsitantino, umuhanga mu by’amateka witwa Paul Johnson yagize ati “imwe mu mpamvu z’ingenzi zatumye yihanganira Ubukristo, ishobora kuba ari uko bwamuhaye we ubwe na Leta uburyo bwo kugenzura imikorere ya Kiliziya ku byerekeranye n’imyizerere.

Mbese, Yaba Yarigeze Aba Umukristo?

Uwitwa Johnson agira ati “Konsitantino ntiyigeze areka gusenga izuba, kandi yarekeye igishushanyo cy’izuba ku biceri bye.” Igitabo cyitwa Catholic Encyclopedia kigira kiti “Konsitantino yagaragaje ko atonesheje amadini y’Abakristo n’ay’abapagani mu rugero rumwe. Kubera ko yari pontifex maximus, yitaga ku gusenga kwa gipagani, kandi akarinda uburenganzira bwako.” Inkoranyamagambo yitwa Hidria, igira iti “Konsitantino ntiyigeze aba Umukristo,” yongeraho igira iti “Eusebius w’i Kayisariya wanditse inkuru y’imibereho ya [Konsitantino], yavuze ko yabaye Umukristo mu marembera y’ubuzima bwe. Icyo gikorwa cyo kubatizwa nticyemeza [ko yari abaye Umukristo], kubera ko umunsi umwe mbere yo kubatizwa kwe, [Konsitantino] yatuye Zeus igitambo bitewe n’uko nanone yari afite izina ry’icyubahiro rya Pontifex Maximus.”

Kugeza ku munsi yapfiriyeho mu mwaka wa 337 I.C., Konsitantino yari afite izina ry’icyubahiro rya Pontifex Maximus, akaba ari umutware mukuru mu bihereranye n’idini. Ku birebana no kubatizwa kwe, bihuje n’ubwenge kwibaza tuti, mbese, kwabanjirijwe n’ukwihana nyakuri no guhindukira, nk’uko bisabwa mu Byanditswe (Ibyakozwe 2:38, 40, 41)? Mbese, kwari ukwibizwa mu mazi, bikaba ikimenyetso cy’uko Konsitantino yiyeguriye Yehova Imana?—Gereranya no mu Byakozwe 8:36-39.

Ese Yari “Umutagatifu”?

Igitabo cyitwa Encyclopædia Britannica kigira kiti “Konsitantino yiswe Mukuru bitewe n’ibyo yagezeho, bidaturutse ku wo yari we. Iyo aza gusuzumwa hakurikijwe imico imuranga, mu by’ukuri yari kuba mu bantu bo hasi cyane berekejweho icyo kinyazina [Mukuru] mu bihe bya kera cyangwa mu bihe bya vuba aha.” Ikindi kandi, igitabo cyitwa A History of Christianity kitubwira kiti “hari inkuru zo hambere zivuga ukuntu yarangwaga n’umutima wo kugira urugomo kandi agakora ibikorwa by’ubugome mu gihe yabaga arakaye. . . . Ntiyubahaga ubuzima bwa kimuntu . . . Uko yagendaga asaza, ni nako imibereho ye bwite yarushagaho kurangwa n’ibikorwa by’agahomamunwa bya kinyamaswa.”

Uko bigaragara, Konsitantino yari afite ibibazo bikomeye birebana na kamere. Umushakashatsi mu by’amateka yaravuze ati “incuro nyinshi, kamere yagaragazaga mu birebana n’imyitwarire, ni yo yatumaga akora ibikorwa by’ubugizi bwa nabi.” (Reba agasanduku gafite umutwe uvuga ngo “Ubwami bw’Abicanyi.”) Mu gitabo cye cyitwa History of Europe, umuhanga mu by’amateka witwa H. Fisher, arwanya iby’uko Konsitantino yaba yari afite “imico ya Gikristo.” Ibintu byabayeho ntibimugaragaza ko yari Umukristo w’ukuri wambaye “umuntu mushya,” kandi ko muri we haba harashoboraga kuboneka imbuto z’umwuka wera w’Imana—ni ukuvuga urukundo, ibyishimo, amahoro, kwihangana, kugira neza, ingeso nziza, kwizera, kugwa neza, no kwirinda.​—Abakolosayi 3:9, 10; Abagalatiya 5:22, 23.

Ingaruka z’Imihati Ye

Kubera ko Konsitantino yari Pontifex Maximus w’umupagani​—kandi ku bw’ibyo akaba yari umutware wa kidini w’Ubwami bw’Abaroma—yagerageje kwiyegereza abasenyeri ba kiliziya y’abahakanyi. Yabahaye imyanya mu butegetsi, abaha ibyubahiro n’ubutunzi, baba abategetsi bakuru ba Leta ishingiye ku idini y’Abaroma. Igitabo cyitwa Catholic Encyclopedia cyemera ko “hari abasenyeri bamwe na bamwe bahumwe n’ubwiza bw’i bwami, ku buryo bageze ubwo banasingiza umwami w’abami bamwita umumarayika w’Imana, ikinyabuzima cyera, kandi bagahanura ko kimwe n’Umwana w’Imana, yari kuzima mu ijuru.”

Uko Ubukristo bw’abahakanyi bwagendaga bucudika n’ubutegetsi bwa gipolitiki, ni nako bwagendaga burushaho kuba ubw’iyi si, ubw’iyi gahunda y’isi, maze buva mu nyigisho za Yesu Kristo (Yohana 15:19; 17:14, 16; Ibyahishuwe 17:1, 2). Ingaruka zabaye iz’uko “Ubukristo” bwivanze n’inyigisho hamwe n’ibikorwa by’ibinyoma—ni ukuvuga Ubutatu, ukudapfa k’ubugingo, umuriro w’ikuzimu, purugatori, gusengera abapfuye, gukoresha za rozari, ibishushanyo n’amashusho n’ibindi bisa n’ibyo.​—Gereranya na 2 Abakorinto 6:14-18.

Nanone kandi, biturutse kuri Konsitantino, kiliziya yokamwe n’ingeso yo gutwara abantu buhumyi. Intiti mu bya Bibiliya zitwa Henderson na Buck zigira ziti “koroha kw’Ivanjili kwari kwarononwe, imigenzo n’imihango bihanitse byari byarahawe intebe, abigisha b’Ubukristo bahabwaga ibyubahiro by’isi n’ibihembo, kandi mu rugero runini Ubwami bwa Kristo bwahinduwe ubwami bw’iyi si.”

Ubukristo bw’Ukuri Buri He?

Ibintu byabayeho mu mateka, bigaragaza ukuri kwihishe inyuma y’ “ubukuru” bwa Konsitantino. Aho kugira ngo Kristendomu ibe yarashinzwe na Yesu Kristo we Mutware w’itorero rya Gikristo ry’ukuri, ku ruhande rumwe ikomoka ku mpamvu za gipolitiki no ku bucakura bw’umwami w’abami w’umupagani. Umuhanga mu by’amateka witwa Paul Johnson yabajije abigiranye ubuhanga cyane ati “mbese, ubwami bwiyeguriye Ubukristo, cyangwa Ubukristo bwisambanyishije ku bwami?”

Abantu bose bashaka by’ukuri kuyoboka Ubukristo butanduye, bashobora gufashwa kumenya no kwifatanya n’itorero rya Gikristo ry’ukuri muri iki gihe. Abahamya ba Yehova ku isi hose biteguye rwose gufasha abantu b’imitima itaryarya kumenya Ubukristo bw’ukuri no gusenga Imana mu buryo yemera.​—Yohana 4:23, 24.

[Ibisobanuro ahagana hasi ku ipaji]

[Agasanduku ko ku ipaji ya 28]

KONSITANTINO NA KONSILI YA NICÉE

Ni uruhe ruhare Umwami w’Abami Konsitantino wari utarabatizwa yagize muri Konsili ya Nicée? Igitabo cyitwa Encyclopædia Britannica kigira kiti “Konsitantino ubwe ni we wari uhagarariye ibiganiro, akabiyobora abishishikariye . . . Bitewe no gutinya cyane umwami w’abami, abasenyeri bose, uretse babiri gusa, bashyize umukono ku mahame remezo, abenshi muri bo bakaba barabikoze basa n’aho babihatiwe.”

Nyuma y’amezi abiri y’impaka za kidini zikaze, uwo mupagani w’umunyapolitiki yabyivanzemo, maze afata umwanzuro ubogamiye ku ruhande rw’abavugaga ko Yesu ari Imana. Ariko se kuki? Igitabo cyitwa A Short History of Christian Doctrine kigira kiti “mbere na mbere, Konsitantino nta gusobanukirwa uko ari ko kose yari afite ku bihereranye n’ibibazo byari birimo bibazwa muri tewolojiya ya Kigiriki.” Icyo yasobanukiwe, ni uko amacakubiri yo mu rwego rw’idini yashoboraga guteza akaga ubwami bwe, kandi yari yiyemeje gukomeza ubwami bwe.

Ku birebana n’inyandiko ya nyuma yavuye muri Nicée yari ishyigikiwe na Konsitantino kandi akaba yarayigizemo uruhare, igitabo cyitwa Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Amateka y’Ishyanga ry’u Bugiriki) kigira kiti “igaragaza ko [Konsitantino] atitabiraga ibihereranye n’imyizerere, . . . gutitiriza kwe nta kuva ku izima agerageza kugarura ubumwe muri kiliziya uko byamera kose, kandi amaherezo kuba yaremezaga ko kubera ko ari ‘musenyeri w’abantu batari Abakristo,’ yagombaga gufata umwanzuro wa nyuma ku bihereranye n’ikibazo icyo ari cyo cyose cyo mu rwego rw’idini.” Ese, umwuka w’Imana waba warashoboraga gushyigikira ibyemezo byafashwe muri iyo konsili?​—Gereranya no mu Byakozwe 15:28, 29.

[Agasanduku ko ku ipaji ya 29]

“UBWAMI BW’ABICANYI”

Kuri uyu mutwe, igitabo Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Amateka y’Ishyanga ry’u Bugiriki), kivuga icyo cyita “ubwicanyi bw’agahomamunwa Konstantino yakoreye mu muryango.” Nyuma gato y’uko agera ku ngoma, yibagiwe ukuntu yakoresha ibyo yagezeho atari abyiteze, maze abona akaga kari kamwugarije. Kubera ko yari umuntu utagira uwo ashira amakenga, kandi wenda akaba yaroshywaga n’abamushyeshyengaga, mbere na mbere yatangiye gukeka amababa mwishywa we witwaga Licinianus—umuhungu wa mugenzi wa Augustus yari yaramaze kwivugana—akeka ko yaba yaramurwanyaga. Iyicwa rye ryakurikiwe no kwicwa k’umuhungu w’imfura wa Konsitantino ubwe witwaga Crispus, wari ufitanye ikibazo na muka se witwaga Fausta, kubera ko yasaga n’aho ari we ubuza urubyaro rwe kugira ububasha busesuye.

Icyo gikorwa cya Fausta, amaherezo cyaje kuba intandaro y’urupfu rwe rubabaje. Biragaragara ko Augusta Helena, wagiraga uruhare ku byo umuhungu we Konsitantino yakoraga kugeza ku iherezo, yaba yaragize uruhare muri ubwo bwicanyi. Ibyiyumvo bidahuje n’ubwenge byayoboraga Konsitantino, na byo byagize uruhare muri ibyo bikorwa byose byo kwivugana inyinshi mu ncuti ze, hamwe n’abo bari bafatanyije. Igitabo cyitwa History of the Middle Ages gisoza kigira kiti “kuba yarivuganye umuhungu we bwite n’umugore we—tutavuze ko yabahitanye—bigaragaza ko nta kintu na kimwe Ubukristo bwari bwarigeze bumuhinduraho mu buryo bw’umwuka.”

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 30]

Iyi ngoro yubatswe i Roma, yakoreshejwe mu guhesha Konsitantino ikuzo

[Aho ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 26 yavuye]

Inzu ndangamurage y’i Louvre, i Paris