I just read the following article on the web this fine Easter morning, and was wondering what thoughts everyone might have on it.

I found particularly interesting former President Reagan's suspicion — apparently gleaned from their various closed-door tête à têtes — that Mr. Gorbachev could have actually been a Christian all along during those tension-filled days in the 80s, when I for one followed very closely the unfolding (almost nuclear) showdown between the US and the USSR.

I realize that the media labels all sorts of people as "Christians," and while I had never heard these rumors about Gorby before, still — if true — who wudda thought?

Here are the main points:   

EX-SOVIET LEADER GORBACHEV ADMITS HE IS CHRISTIAN

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last communist leader of the Soviet Union, admitted publicly for the first time on Wednesday that he is a Christian. 

Rumors had circulated for decades that Gorbachev was a “closet Christian,” but it was only confirmed yesterday when he made a surprise visit with his daughter Irina to pray at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy. The former communist leader spent half an hour on his knees in silent prayer at the tomb. 

Until now, Gorbachev had only expressed pantheistic views such as “nature is my god,” according to the U.K. newspaper. 

Gorbachev, 77, was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church and his parents are Christians. Moreover, the parents of his wife, Raisa, were devout Christians who died during World War II for having religious icons in their home. 

Many had suspected that Gorbachev was forced to hide his faith because of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)’s official stance as an atheist state. 

Former President Ronald Reagan had allegedly told close aides that he suspected that his opponent during the Cold War was a “closet believer,” according to the Telegraph. 

Besides praying at the tomb, Gorbachev during his Assisi visit also toured the Basilica of St. Francis and asked the monks there for theological books to help him understand the life of St. Francis. 

“He seemed a man deeply inspired by charity, and told me that he was involved in a project to help children with cancer,” reflected (Father Miroslavo) Anuskevic. 

 -joebib

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