Posted on 03/19/2008 1:46:50 PM PDT by rrstar96
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.
Accompanied by his daughter Irina, Mr Gorbachev spent half an hour on his knees in silent prayer at the tomb.
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.
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".
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".
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".
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.
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.
"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.
"I feel very emotional to be here at such an important place not only for the Catholic faith, but for all humanity."
He also asked the monks for theological books to help him understand St Francis's life.
Father Miroslavo Anuskevic, who accompanied the former Soviet leader, said: "He was not recognised by any of the worshippers in the church, and silently meditated at the tomb for a while. He seemed a man deeply inspired by charity, and told me that he was involved in a project to help children with cancer.
"He talked a lot about Russia and said that even though the transition to democracy had been very important for the world, it was very painful for Russia. He said it was a country which has a great history, and also a great spirituality."
We should all wish the former Communist leader a grace-filled spiritual journey he appears to be taking in earnest.
ping
What’s his middle name? We can’t believe he is Christian if he has screwed up middle name.
Let's hope for the best.
The article’s portrayal of St. Francis before his conversion is somewhat inaccurate as he was not a troubadour or poet (although he had the spirit of both) but, rather, a soldier. In addition, he was never ordained a priest, but it is widely believed he was a deacon, having sung the Gospel during the famous Christmas Mass at Greccio in 1223.
Pray for him.
He used to be a Communist.
It may help that Gorbachev “also asked the monks for theological books to help him understand St Francis’s life.”
While St. Francis’ love of nature may be misconstrued by some as proto-environmentalism, he was first and foremost a faithful Catholic whose influence and reforms (along with those of his contemporary St. Dominic) held the Church together for another 300 years.
It’s wonderful that he did this, and I think it is probably a sincere conversion.
By the way, I was in Assisi last year for the first time, and it looks as if things must have improved enormously. This Pope does not tolerate any syncretist nonsense, and in fact removed the person who had formerly been running these shows.
Also, I was quite stunned when I visited the Portiuncula. I didn’t expect it to really have any sense of holiness at all, but it was stunning (and I’m pretty insensitive!). St. Francis is definitely very “present” there, and I think Gorbachev must have been really overcome by this.
Maybe you two are right. I hope so.
Which reminds me, St. Francis was no ecumenist either. One of his dearest goals was to preach the Gospel in Muslim lands, even if at the cost of martyrdom.
RR again showing his astute ability to see inside of people. (I'll bet he never would have had a good feeling about Putin as this president had)
“He used to be a Communist.”
Compare Gorbachev’s humble acknowledgement of his faith to Josef Stalin’s sarcastic dismissal of the influence of the papacy: “How many divisions does the pope have?”
They compare as night with day ... I’m not being sarcastically dismissive of Gorby. Rather, I’m noting how far he’s come ... and praying that he completes the journey.
Duplicate thread. Already posted to the News/Actvism Forum.
Oh, by no means am I criticizing you, ArrogantBustard. What I was comparing was the attitudes of two Communists; one who appears to have seen the True Light, and the other whose worship of power and the sword left him mired in darkness.
Thanks, NYer. And yet, this journey by Gorbachev fits well within the Religion thread; the one-time head of the world’s most powerful dictatorship turned man of God.
Maybe his relationship with Reagan help to plant a seed.
Gorbachev is like Putin and Stalin.
Gorbachev always impressed me as a fundamentally decent person, certainly of much higher caliber than his successors.
Russians don’t have middle names. They have patronimics, based on their father’s name. For example-— a man named Sergei who had a father named Ivan would be called Sergei Ivanovich. A woman named Yelena with the same father would be called Yelena Ivanova
Thanks for dropping the knowledge Dawg! I learned something!!!
Yelena IvanovNa, not Ivanova. Ivanova was possible in the XIX century.
Mr. Gorbachev was a Secretary General of the CPSU, now he’s a Catholic. An event that could be compared to a Pope’s conversion to islam.
you are correct. my bad.
I thought he was Russian Orthodox...many of the people considered Saints by the Catholic Church are likewise considered so in the Orthodox Church
But your knowledge of Russian langauge is amazing for an American. For me it’s not an achievement at all.
Only those beatified before 1054, while St. Francis lived later.
Even as communist leaders they were like night and day.
Stalin used his authority to suppress individual freedom to a frightening degree. Gorbachev worked to restore some measures of individual freedom, ended the complete monopoly on power that the Communist Party held and worked to open up a better relationship with the West.
it was reactionary hardliners who longed for the iron fist of Soviet power that instigated the coup that led to the dissolution of the Soviet union, when they arrested Gorbachev
“Maybe his relationship with Reagan help to plant a seed.”
Have you read The Little Flowers of St. Francis yet?
No. I’ve never really read any Catholic literature. I’ve thought of reading Pope Benedict’s recent book. I find myself liking the things this Pope says from time to time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.