Did He or Didn’t He?

There have been mixed reports out of Italy and Russia that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has either a) converted to Christianity; b) was a closet Christian all along; or c) was not, is not and will not be a Christian. Gorbachev visited the tomb of St. Francis in Assisi and supposedly spent 30 minutes […]

There have been mixed reports out of Italy and Russia that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has either a) converted to Christianity; b) was a closet Christian all along; or c) was not, is not and will not be a Christian.

Gorbachev visited the tomb of St. Francis in Assisi and supposedly spent 30 minutes in silence or prayer or maybe both. “It was through St. Francis that I arrived at the Church, so it was important that I came to visit his tomb,” he apparently said.

Now others are reporting that’s not what he actually meant, and remains an avowed atheist. From AsiaNews, which is affiliated with the Vatican:


“Over the last few days some media have been disseminating fantasies-I can’t use any other word-about my secret Catholicism, citing my visit to the Sacro Convento friary, where the remains of St. Francis of Assisi lie,” Gorbachev said. Instead he insisted that he undertook the trip, not as a pilgrim, but as “tourist.”

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