India, May 19 -- What happens in the Vatican concerns not only the world's 1.4 billion Catholics but everyone else, too, given the Church's enormous influence in global politics. The Holy See is a member state of the United Nations, but more importantly, its titular head also carries enormous weight in terms of the policies he espouses. There is, therefore, universal and keen interest when a new Pope is chosen, and thus it has been over the past momentous week.

Cardinal Robert Prevost, previously a Bishop in Peru, was elected Pope on May 8 by the College of Cardinals, and he has chosen to name himself Leo XIV, and that is a tremendous signal of hope for two reasons: He succeeds Pope Francis (Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio), w...