Read Online No Greater Love by William Kienzle - Free Book Online Page B

African-Americans—had friends in high places.”
    â€œMeaning?”
    â€œGranted, in the beginning all they had was truth as a weapon. They didn’t have law court victories. They didn’t have the backing of leaders in Congress, business, or industry. With the exception of the best of the best—like Jackie Robinson or Bill Russell—they were forced to play in their own sports leagues.”
    Patty looked puzzled. “Jackie Robinson? Bill Russell?”
    â€œYou could look it up. Anyway, it wasn’t till Martin Luther King and his nonviolent crusade that black Americans began to get doors opened to schools, jobs, and all sports. Court decisions began to go in their direction. They got recognition and help from two Kennedys—one President, the other, Attorney General. Then Lyndon Johnson—a good ol’ boy from Texas—pushed civil rights bills through a mostly cooperative Congress. That’s what I mean by getting friends in high places. See?”
    â€œOkay,” Patty admitted, “suppose I agree with everything you’ve said. They had to have friends in high places. What’s the point?”
    â€œYou haven’t!”
    â€œHaven’t what?”
    â€œYou haven’t got friends in high places.”
    Patty shrugged. “The Pope?”
    â€œHim and all his buddies. Like Cardinals and bishops and priests—and just about every M.Div student in this place.”
    Patty made an expansive, palms-up gesture. “Haven’t you heard? We are the Church. And there’s a lot more of Us than there are of Them. So what do we need with friends in high places?”
    â€œPat, it’s not just that you don’t have friends in high places: The people in high places are your enemies. The possibility of ordaining women priests now is like the predicament of the blacks before Martin Luther King, Johnson, the courts, and the civil rights movement: Southerners didn’t mind how close blacks got as long as they didn’t get uppity. Northerners didn’t mind how uppity blacks got as long as they didn’t get close.”
    â€œAndy, you just don’t understand. We are the Church! We don’t need friends in high places.”
    â€œI know, I know. I read the documents of Vatican II. I know it says in there that The People of God are the Church. But I’ve got eyes and I’ve kept them open. Not only do all directives come from Rome, the Pope has done a splendid job of stacking the College of Cardinals, as well as filling most of the bishoprics with men after his own mind.
    â€œThe Pope has taken on the clout of Infallibility. Even if he hasn’t really used it, it’s there as the ultimate threat. One Pope says women can’t be priests because they don’t look like Jesus—which, by the way, would disqualify most of the bishops and priests we’ve got. A Pope says women can’t be priests because Jesus didn’t make any women Apostles. And, finally, a Pope said that women never were, are not, never will be priests. End of discussion! There will be no more talk of it. Period!” The very words seemed to leave a bad taste in Andrea’s mouth.
    â€œBut, don’t you see, Andy: The talk goes on. That’s part of my argument. Sure the Pope wants to run everything. He wants to be ‘The Church.’ And he certainly said there could be no more talk of women as priests. But—and here’s the point—the debate goes on as if the Pope had never issued that edict. We will overcome, Andy.”
    â€œI’d give you a very weak ‘maybe’ on that.”
    â€œYour problem, Andy, is that you’ve never wanted something you should but can’t have. You haven’t walked in my moccasins.”
    Oh, yeah? thought Andrea.

Eight
    Andrea Zawalich and Patty Donnelly were both a couple of inches over five feet. Each was of slender build yet amply endowed—one might say