No Greater Love by William Kienzle Read Free Book Online Page A

continued to select as assisting bishops to Cardinal Boyle the most conservative of nominees.
    McNiff conjured up the image of a prizefighter, a boxer, carrying his opponent. Rather than allowing the opponent to fall and thus ending the match, he keeps the adversary standing while continuing to punish him.
    Is this what had been going on over the past few years?
    McNiff did not want to believe it, but at this moment, it seemed the best explanation.
    â€œIf you wish, Father,” Boyle broke into McNiff’s mental musings, “you may think and pray over your decision for a few days. Take a week, if you find that necessary. Then come see me again.”
    â€œThank you, Eminence. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Surely within a week.”

Six
    â€œIf I hadn’t quit smoking years ago, I might just light up now.” Father Koesler spoke only half in jest.
    â€œIsn’t it nice”—McNiff paused to blow his nose—“isn’t it nice,” he repeated, “to know that you have some corroboration for your theory about the conservative auxiliaries? Not to mention the reason the Pope keeps rejecting the Cardinal’s resignation?”
    â€œYeah, that’s nice.…” Koesler paused. “How many people have you told?”
    McNiff shook his head and gestured: “You’re it.”
    â€œI can see why.”
    McNiff nodded. “It would have been counterproductive. We felt that the longer the faculty—and the students, for that matter—were in the dark about the real reason I’m here, the more chance of success I’d have.”
    â€œYou couldn’t even let the minority liberals in on it?”
    â€œUh-uh. They might have reacted with some wink-and-nod body language that would have tipped the whole thing off. This transformation had to be imperceptible, not apparent … you know, just a gradual kind of thing, for it to work.”
    â€œWell, I’ll give you that.…” Koesler leaned back in his chair. “It’s going so gradually that no one in the diocese seems to be detecting it. You’ve been here over five years and I haven’t heard anyone comment on any kind of change going on here whatsoever.”
    â€œThere have been changes.” McNiff sounded a whit defensive. “I admit they’re subtle. A couple of the priest faculty are gone—one to a pastorate, the other to Senior Priesthood. Three of the lay staff have left. And I’ve replaced them all. No …” McNiff shook his head and waved his hand in a negative gesture in response to Koesler’s obvious heightened interest. “… not with crashing liberals, but with conservatives who have that needed touch of tolerance.”
    McNiff began to cough, blessedly not in the direction of Father Koesler, who felt he would be fortunate to escape this bug-filled space without contracting pneumonia.
    â€œSo,” Koesler said finally, “as far as you know, there are two, and only two, who are in on your secret mission: you and the Cardinal.”
    â€œUntil this moment, yes.”
    â€œOkay, you’ve told me. Now, isn’t it possible that the Cardinal has let someone else in on it?”
    â€œThe understanding is that we would share this knowledge with no one without informing each other. And the agreement affects me mainly. I’m the one on the firing line. I need more mobility in handling this policy.”
    â€œSo you’ve told Boyle about our meeting tonight?”
    â€œI’ll tell him tomorrow.”
    Koesler paused, giving himself time to assimilate all this. “Okay,” he said, finally, “I guess that brings us logically to the ultimate question: Why me?”
    â€œExactly.”
    Koesler noticed that McNiff’s eyes were bloodshot and his face was puffy. He wondered whether this cold, or flu—whatever—had been at least partially brought on by the stress of this