India, May 12 -- Twenty-five years ago, a European television channel came to interview me while I was with The Indian Express. The interview was based on a book by an Italian writer about the Pope of the 21st century. The author wanted to speak with me about the origins of Christianity in India and the role it played in the nation's development.

My editor, Shekhar Gupta, kindly allowed me to use his office for the interview. I was told that the author would travel across all continents-except, perhaps, Antarctica-to piece together his story about the future Pope. As I spoke under the arc lights in the Qutub Institutional Area office, with the Qutub Minar visible through the window, I expressed my hope that there would one day be a Pope ...