Habemus Papam Indianum-we Have an Indian Pontiff

An Indian Pontiff? God forbid! OR Why some Indian Catholics do not want an Indian Pontiff One momentous day in March 2013, Indian Catholics reach for their newspapers or turn on their TVs to learn what the whole world, the Church as well as her enemies, has been eagerly waiting to hear, the results of the decisive ballot cast by 117 Cardinal electors to elect the new Vicar of Rome as indicated by the white smoke that emanated a few hours earlier from a Vatican chimney that had been the focus of global attention for a few days. The news had already gone viral on the Internet by email and on social networking sites even before the final wisp of white smoke had dissipated in the Roman winter air, and editors of Catholic media, both progressive as well as conservative, secular talk shows and tabloids and rags, were feverishly putting the finishing touches to their already drafted outlines of their takes on the future direction of the single most influential organization in the world, the Church of Rome. For several weeks, speculation had been rife, and now they all knew, after hearing the Latin announcement made to the teeming crowds in St. Peter’s Square: