Gorbachev, God and Socialism

In two speeches in Rome, one of them with Pope John Paul II at his side, Mikhail Gorbachev spoke about the decline of Communism, the future of Europe and the role of religion in terms that few people would ever have expected from a Kremlin leader. Excerpts:

COMMUNISM

"Having embarked upon the road of radical reform, the socialist countries are crossing the line beyond which there is no return to the past. Nevertheless, it is wrong to insist, as many in the West do, that this is the collapse of socialism. On the contrary, it means that the socialist process in the world will pursue its further development in a multiplicity of forms. Let us leave it to experts in anti-Communist propaganda to rejoice in the 'triumph of capitalism' in the cold war.

We have abandoned the claim to have a monopoly on the truth; we no longer think that we are always right, that those who disagree with us are our enemies. We have now decided, firmly and irrevocably, to base our policy on the principles of freedom of choice, and to develop our culture through dialogue and acceptance of all that is applicable in our conditions."

EUROPE

"In the final analysis we envision Europe as a commonwealth of sovereign democratic states with a high level of equitable interdependence and easily & accessible borders open to the exchange of products, technologies and ideas and wide-ranging contacts among people . . .

Respect for the people's national, state, spiritual and cultural identity is an indispensable condition for a steady international environment that Europe and the world now need to cross the historic watershed and attain a new period of peace."

RELIGION

"We need spiritual values, we need a revolution of the mind. This is the only way toward a new culture and new politics that can meet the challenge of our time. We have changed our attitude toward some matters -- such as religion -- which, admittedly, we used to treat in a simplistic manner . . . Now we not only proceed from the assumption that no one should interfere in matters of the individual's conscience; we also say that the moral values that religion generated and embodied for centuries can help in the work of renewal in our country, too . . .

People of many confessions, including Christians, Moslems, Jews, Buddhists and others, live in the Soviet Union. All of them have a right to satisfy their spiritual needs."