USanta wosuku lukaFebhuwari 14: Indaba Yabangcwele uCyril noMethodius
Njengoba ubaba wabo wayeyisikhulu engxenyeni ethile yaseGrisi eyayihlala amaSlav amaningi, laba bazalwane ababili abangamaGreki ekugcineni baba izithunywa zevangeli, othisha nabaxhasi babantu baseSlavic. Ngemuva kwezifundo ezinhle, uCyril (obizwa ngoConstantine waze waba yindela ngaphambi nje kokuba ashone) wenqaba ukuba ngumphathi wesifunda njengoba umfowabo ayemukele kubantu abakhuluma isiSlavic. UCyril uthathe umhlalaphansi esigodlweni sezindela lapho umfowabo uMethodius esebe yindela ngemuva kweminyaka embalwa esesikhundleni sikahulumeni. Ushintsho olukhulu empilweni yabo lwenzeka lapho uMbusi waseMoravia ecela uMbusi uMichael waseMpumalanga inkululeko yezombusazwe embusweni waseJalimane kanye nokuzimela kwezenkolo (enabafundisi bakhe nezinkonzo zakhe). UCyril noMethodius baqala lo msebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli. Umsebenzi wokuqala kaCyril kwakungukusungula i-alfabhethi, esasetshenziswa kwamanye ama-liturgy aseMpumalanga. Abalandeli bakhe kungenzeka babumba izinhlamvu zesiCyrillic. Bendawonye bahumushela amaVangeli, i-psalter, izincwadi zikaPaul kanye nezincwadi zemikhosi kulwimi lwesiSlavic, base beqamba nenkolo yamaSlavic, ngaleso sikhathi eyayingajwayelekile. Lokhu kanye nokusebenzisa kwabo ngokukhululekile izilimi zomdabu lapho beshumayela kwaholela ekuphikisweni kwabefundisi baseJalimane. Umbhishobhi wenqaba ukungcwelisa ababhishobhi nabapristi abangamaSlavic futhi uCyril waphoqeleka ukuba adlulisele icala eRoma. Ngesikhathi bevakashele eRoma, yena noMethodius baba nenjabulo yokubona inkolo yabo entsha ivunywa uPapa Adrian II. UCyril, okhubazeke isikhashana, ushone eRoma ezinsukwini ezingama-50 ngemuva kokwenza lo mkhuba wobushiqela. UMethodius waqhubeka nomsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli eminye iminyaka engu-16. Wayengumlandeli kapapa wabo bonke abantu baseSlavic, umbhishobhi ohlukanisiwe wabe esenikezwa isheya lasendulo (manje eliseCzech Republic). Lapho ingxenye enkulu yendawo yabo yangaphambili isuswa endaweni yabo, ababhishobhi baseBavaria baphindisela ngesiphepho esinamandla sokumangalela uMethodius. Ngenxa yalokho, uMbusi uLouis waseJalimane wathumba uMethodius iminyaka emithathu. UPapa John VIII wakhululwa.
Ngenkathi abefundisi baseFrank abasathukuthele beqhubeka nokumangalela, uMethodius kwadingeka ukuthi aye eRoma ayozivikela ezinsolweni zokuhlubuka futhi asekele ukusebenzisa kwakhe inkolo yamaSlav. Waphinde wafunwa. Inganekwane ithi ngesikhathi somsebenzi, uMethodius wahumushela lonke iBhayibheli olimini lwesiSlavic ezinyangeni eziyisishiyagalombili. Ushone ngoLwesibili weSonto Elingcwele, ezungezwe abafundi bakhe, esontweni lakhe elikhulu. Ukuphikisana kwaqhubeka ngemuva kokushona kwakhe nomsebenzi wabazalwane eMoravia waphela futhi abafundi babo bahlakazeka. Kepha ukuxoshwa kwaba nomphumela omuhle wokusabalalisa umsebenzi wezenkolo, wezenkolo nowamasiko wamafriya eBulgaria, eBohemia naseningizimu yePoland. Abaphathi baseMoravia, futhi ikakhulukazi abahlonishwa amaCzech, iSlovak, amaCroatia, amaSerbia Orthodox namaKhatholika aseBulgaria, uCyril noMethodius bakulungele kakhulu ukuvikela ubunye obufunwa kakhulu phakathi kweMpumalanga neNtshonalanga. Ngo-1980, uPapa John Paul II waqoka bona njengabaphathi abengeziwe baseYurophu (noBenedict). Ukuzindla: ubungcwele busho ukusabela empilweni yomuntu ngothando lukaNkulunkulu: impilo yomuntu njengoba injalo, ihlanganiswe nepolitiki namasiko, amahle nababi, abazithandayo nabangcwele. KuCyril noMethodius isiphambano sabo sansuku zonke sasiphathelene nolimi lwenkonzo. Abangcwele ngoba baguqula inkolo yezenkolo yaba yiSlavic, kepha ngoba bakwenza ngesibindi nokuthobeka kukaKristu.