Jason knew he had come into his own the day the Pope called. His Holiness wanted to discuss the future of the Catholic Church in the new order, and Jason was happy to oblige him.

The meeting was held in the house in Bombay. As the world's press waited breathlessly outside, the two talked long into the night.

The next day, Jason declared the meeting "a smashing success". He decried torture, slavery, and inadequite prison conditions.

A sullen Pope said the meeting went "as well as [can] be expected, under the circumstances". Vatican sources would only say that they had hoped for "more progress on real human rights reforms". Other sources suggested that an impasse on abortion and birth control soured the Pontiff's temper.

RM