Chess champion Bobby Fisher requested Catholic burial in Iceland

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Washington D.C., Jan 23, 2008 / 04:39 pm (CNA).- Legendary chess player Bobby Fischer, who made history by dethroning the Soviet chess king Boris Spassky in 1972, asked to be buried as a Catholic, according to officials of the Catholic Church in Iceland, where he had been living since 1992.

The famous and eccentric chess player, who died last Thursday at the age of 64, was buried Tuesday in Iceland during a private Catholic ceremony.

The French news agency AFP reported that Fischer, who was born into a Jewish family in New York, expressly asked to be buried according to the Catholic rite. Father Jakob Rolland of the Diocese of Reykiavik, the capital of Iceland, presided at the funeral.

The former champion “had expressed his desire to have a catholic burial and we honored that” with a ceremony that took place in Laugardaela, a small city 50 kilometers south of the capital,” Father Rolland said.

Only five people attended the ceremony, including his Japanese friend Miyoko Watai, who traveled from Japan to attend to the funeral. Father Rolland said she organized the funeral together with a group of Fischer’s friends in Iceland.

“I don’t know if he converted to the Catholic faith, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t,” said Father Rolland, in reference to the reserved manner in which Fischer discussed his private life and his personal decisions.

By becoming a citizen of Iceland, Fischer escaped serving a prison sentence in the United States for money he earned during a tournament in 1992 in the former Yugoslavia—at that time under a UN embargo—where he again faced and defeated Russian champion Spassky.

Comments: 7

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Lawrence Myers
Sydney, Australia 08/06/2008 04:40 PM EST

This news story was truly great to read. Protestants who have commented on it have no appreciation of the danger in which they have placed their souls - Do they want to end up in Purgatory (through Invincible Ignorance) or will their Pride condemn them to Hell? Bobby Fischer the whole world admired your Chess Genius - however your conversion to the Catholic Faith is the smartest move you ever made!

Published by: Franc G. Uberti
Encinitas, CA USA 02/08/2008 11:34 PM EST

Although the hour may have been late, Bobby became aware that the Catholic Church held the keys to salvation.
Happy are those who realize this early in life.

Published by: Dove
Fergus Falls, MN, USA 02/08/2008 01:49 AM EST

Bobby Fischer, perhaps, by the grace of God, asked for forgiveness as the last hours of his life approached. And hopefully, by the mercies of Christ, we shall meet once again. May God redeem your soul, Bobby. You were the height of Chess, & the tragedy of the human condition, &, yet still much loved. Truly, I believe you were a kind man with a bitter exterior who had never experienced The Love of Christ Jesus. True, Chess is Life, but life is not chess, & I can now only regretfully desire that someone could have shown you, Life is LOVE & LOVE is Life. May you find peace, my friend & God be with you. , To God Be The Glory Forever & Ever. Amen.

P.S. Though there are many fallacies in the Catholic church (praying to saints, purgatory ... etc.) it brings my heart joy to know the possibility exists that I may see him in Heaven & that he found forgiveness by the blood of Jesus.

Published by: Jim Trear
Flowery Branch, GA, USA 01/28/2008 08:53 PM EST

Bobby Fischer's late-in-life, if not death-bed, conversion to the Catholic faith reminds one of the conversion of poet Oscar Wilde.

Published by: Tcoll
MA 01/24/2008 04:20 PM EST

Jesus created the Universal(Catholic) Church under Peter. The Church is made up of the church militant(us on earth), church suffering(souls in Purgatory), and Church Triumphant(citizens of Heaven). WIth this fact I can say that as soon as a person dies they convert, unless going to hell, to Catholicism. No Exceptions. if they go to heaven or Purgatory they are recognized as part of the Catholic church. so it is permissible for a person to have a catholic funeral even if they were not catholic on earth as long as they were faithful to God.

Published by: CarlK
Peabody/MA/USA 01/24/2008 12:14 PM EST

How can he recieve a catholic burial unless he is a catholic? Would this ceremony be licit in the eyes of the Church if he were not a member of the catholic church/

Published by: esther morash
wenatchee, WA 01/23/2008 06:53 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

I am honored to be a Catholic where we are not judged by what seems to be but let the Lord be our jury and judge. If this man so desired to have a Catholic funeral it shows he knew what he desired and what better desire could anyone have than what the Catholic Church offers. God Bless the church and the priest.

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