{"id":2369,"date":"2008-03-19T16:37:00","date_gmt":"2008-03-19T16:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2008\/03\/mikhail-gorbachev-christian.html"},"modified":"2008-03-19T16:37:00","modified_gmt":"2008-03-19T16:37:00","slug":"mikhail-gorbachev-christian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2008\/03\/mikhail-gorbachev-christian.html","title":{"rendered":"Mikhail Gorbachev, Christian"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> This is an amazing bit of news<\/a> for Holy Week: <\/p>\n

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Communist leader of the Soviet Union, has acknowledged his Christian faith for the first time, paying a surprise visit to pray at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi.<\/p>\n

Accompanied by his daughter Irina, Mr Gorbachev spent half an hour on his knees in silent prayer at the tomb.<\/p>\n

His arrival in Assisi was described as “spiritual perestroika” by La Stampa, the Italian newspaper.<\/p>\n

“St Francis is, for me, the alter Christus, the other Christ,” said Mr Gorbachev. “His story fascinates me and has played a fundamental role in my life,” he added.<\/p>\n

Mr Gorbachev’s surprise visit confirmed decades of rumours that, although he was forced to publicly pronounce himself an atheist, he was in fact a Christian, and casts a meeting with Pope John Paul II in 1989 in a new light.<\/p>\n

Mr Gorbachev, 77, was baptised into the Russian Orthodox Church and his parents were Christians.<\/p>\n

In addition, the parents of his wife Raisa were deeply religious and were killed during the Second World War for having religious icons in their home.<\/p>\n

Ronald Reagan, the former United States president, allegedly told his close aides on a number of occasions that he felt his opponent during the Cold War was a “closet believer”.<\/p>\n

Mr Reagan held deep religious convictions himself. However, until now Mr Gorbachev has allowed himself to express only pantheistic views, saying in one interview “nature is my god”.<\/p>\n

After his prayers, Mr Gorbachev toured the Basilica of St Francis and asked in particular to be shown an icon of St Francis portraying his “dream at Spoleto”.<\/p>\n

St Francis, who lived in the 12th century, was a troubadour and a poet before the spiritual vision caused him to return to Assisi and contemplate a religious life.<\/p>\n

Even in his early days, St Francis helped the poor, once giving all of his money to a beggar. As well as spending time in the wilderness, he also nursed lepers and eventually became a priest.<\/p>\n

“It was through St Francis that I arrived at the Church, so it was important that I came to visit his tomb,” said Mr Gorbachev.<\/p>\n

“I feel very emotional to be here at such an important place not only for the Catholic faith, but for all humanity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A friend asks the critical question: is he now also a Catholic??<\/p>\n

Oh: and something else. That press report got one significant detail wrong. Francis was never a priest<\/i>. A deacon<\/i>, yes. A priest, no.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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