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March 19, 2008
Mikhail Gorbachev Admits He Is A Christian
.... the last Communist leader of the Soviet Union has acknowledged his Christian faith for the first time as he made a surprise visit to pray at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi:
Accompanied by his daughter Irina, Mr Gorbachev spent half an hour on his knees in silent prayer at the tomb.No surprise here; as mentioned in the Telegraph piece it had been rumored for years that Gorbachev was a Christian. Of interest, however, is that it appears that Reagan might have known way back when it would have been dangerous for Gorbachev to be outed as a Christian.
His arrival in Assisi was described as "spiritual perestroika" by La Stampa, the Italian newspaper.
"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.
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.
Mr Gorbachev, 77, was baptised into the Russian Orthodox Church and his parents were Christians.
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. More ...
Cross posted from Hyscience
Posted by Richard at March 19, 2008 10:36 AM
