Mikhail Gorbachev, Christian

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Welcome to the Holy Week Special thread!!

By Dr. Robert Moynihan

This is an amazing bit of news for Holy Week. The story is now all over the internet, but just in case you haven’t heard about it, here it is:

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Communist leader of the Soviet Union, has acknowledged his Christian faith for the first time, paying a visit to pray at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi. The visit, which reportedly took place on Saturday, March 15, was evidently a surprise. It is not clear whether there was any preparation whatsoever, even informally. The Italian news agency AGI launched the story on March 15 with these words: “A pleasant surprise today for the friars of the Sacro Convento (of Assisi): Mikhail Gorbachev, accompanied by his daughter, paid an unexpected visit to the Basilica of St. Francis.”

insidethevatican.com/newsflash/2008/newsflash-mar20-08.htm

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What a beautiful story! God’s grace works in so many different ways. It really underscores the humanity of our political leadres.
 
Knowing Gorbachev had been a Soviet leader most of his life makes me a bit skeptical. It’s a “wait-and-see” kind of thing, IMO.
 
saylo said:
Knowing Gorbachev had been a Soviet leader most of his life makes me a bit skeptical. It’s a “wait-and-see” kind of thing, IMO.
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Wait and see? Why? What reason or advantage would he have to lie about being Christian?
 
rlg94086 said:
Wait and see? Why? What reason or advantage would he have to lie about being Christian?
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Who knows? It’s my perception. Neither am I saying Yes or No, just pondering. You can jump in with both feet if you choose.
 
Humanum_Genus said:
Welcome to the Holy Week Special thread!!

By Dr. Robert Moynihan

This is an amazing bit of news for Holy Week. The story is now all over the internet, but just in case you haven’t heard about it, here it is:

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Communist leader of the Soviet Union, has acknowledged his Christian faith for the first time, paying a visit to pray at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi. The visit, which reportedly took place on Saturday, March 15, was evidently a surprise. It is not clear whether there was any preparation whatsoever, even informally. The Italian news agency AGI launched the story on March 15 with these words: “A pleasant surprise today for the friars of the Sacro Convento (of Assisi): Mikhail Gorbachev, accompanied by his daughter, paid an unexpected visit to the Basilica of St. Francis.”

insidethevatican.com/newsflash/2008/newsflash-mar20-08.htm

.
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This doesn’t surprise me at all.

Many people in Russia lived double lives where they expressed atheism in public but privately went to church, baptised their children etc. I know people who live like this not just during communist Russia, but in China today.
 
When Mr. Gorbachev’s wife died, I was surprised to see a picture of her (in a magazine), lying in an open coffin with an icon of Mary, the mother of God nearby. If I remember correctly, Mr. Gorbachev was standing next to his wife’s coffin. I wondered about his position in regard to the icon of Mary. If he was a closet Christian that explains it.

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Mr. Gorbachev seems to have either changed his mind, or wanted to go back into the closet, or the media is really spinning stories!

On March 19th, we have media sources quoting Gorbachev to declare, “St Francis is, for me, the alter Christus, the other Christ. His story fascinates me and has played a fundamental role in my life,” he added.

And “It was through St Francis that I arrived at the Church, so it was important that I came to visit his tomb.”

Source: telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/19/wgorbachev119.xml

And now in a newer article, he tells us that he is an atheist! See: christianpost.com/article/20080324/31660.htm for full story!
 
blessed_wife said:
Mr. Gorbachev seems to have either changed his mind, or wanted to go back into the closet, or the media is really spinning stories!

On March 19th, we have media sources quoting Gorbachev to declare, “St Francis is, for me, the alter Christus, the other Christ. His story fascinates me and has played a fundamental role in my life,” he added.

And “It was through St Francis that I arrived at the Church, so it was important that I came to visit his tomb.”

Source: telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/19/wgorbachev119.xml

And now in a newer article, he tells us that he is an atheist! See: christianpost.com/article/20080324/31660.htm for full story!
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Well, that’s too bad… 😦 But, like this patriarch, I still hold out hope!
“In Italy, he spoke in emotional terms, rather than in terms of faith,” a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox patriarch Alexei II told the Russian media.
“He is still on his way to Christianity. If he arrives, we will welcome him.”
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saylo said:
Well it looks like we took too much for granted.
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Oh no you don’t! 😉 Don’t play humble with me…*I *took too much for granted. You, apparently, were justified in your skepticism. 🙂
 
rlg94086 said:
Oh no you don’t! 😉 Don’t play humble with me…*I *took too much for granted. You, apparently, were justified in your skepticism. 🙂
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Why isn’t that a green smiley? You know, this one:
😃

Or do you really, really mean this one 🙂 ?

Are we being playful ? Or are we being “in-your-face?”

I’m open to either. But the “playful” can be a break from the usual and is in good spirit. Just asking.
 
saylo said:
Why isn’t that a green smiley? You know, this one:
😃

Or do you really, really mean this one 🙂 ?

Are we being playful ? Or are we being “in-your-face?”

I’m open to either. But the “playful” can be a break from the usual and is in good spirit. Just asking.
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Playful, of course. How could I be “in-your-face” on something where you were right and I was wrong? 🤷 I don’t view you or any of my fellow CAF members as adversaries. Just because we disagree on some things doesn’t make us enemies. 🙂

BTW…for “in-your-face,” I would have used this combination: :rolleyes: 😛 (i.e. sarcasm with my tongue sticking out…sort of a “HA!”)

😃
 
saylo said:
Knowing Gorbachev had been a Soviet leader most of his life makes me a bit skeptical. It’s a “wait-and-see” kind of thing, IMO.
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Be happy that he has made the first step. And Wait-and-Pray. 😃
My priest said about this News on Saturday Easter Vigil mass.
 
water said:
Be happy that he has made the first step. And Wait-and-Pray. 😃
My priest said about this News on Saturday Easter Vigil mass.
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See post #11 on this thread and click onto the link therein. It’ll bring you up tp speed.
 
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