Several newspapers have reported that Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the USSR, is a Christian.

What is surprising, however, is not so much the reports themselves as the source: the reports have come from Italy.

It will be interesting to see if there are any follow-ups in the media, saying something about how Gorbachev practises his Christian faith back home in Russia. Does he have a parish and a parish priest? Where are they, and what do they have to say?