NEW DELHI, Feb. 19 -- Who shall we, the ordinary Catholics, believe? As we collectively walk a dreaded path through the minefield of politics on the way to the general elections that will overlap with the days of Lent this year? Our religious leaders have been inconsistent at best, often choosing not to see the ground situation. The signals from the cathedra have been mixed.

"There is an unprecedented religious polarisation which is harming the cherished social harmony in our country and endangering democracy itself," said a statement released at the conclusion of the 36th biennial assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) in Bangalore. "There is an apprehension that divisive attitudes, hate speeches, and fundamentalis...