John L. Allen Jr.
Pope John Paul II greets Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Vatican November 18, 1990. Pope Francis offered his prayers and praise for Gorbachev, 91, who died in Moscow August 30, 2022, after a long illness. Photo: CNS The death of former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev at the age of 91 has triggered an avalanche of commentary and tribute around the world, mostly focusing on Gorbachev’s role in the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet system for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. A sidebar to the story that probably deserves…
