If we look at this in light of the original spirit of church-state separation in our great nation, we will remember that the Baptist minister who penned the original Pledge of Allegiance in 1892 (Francis Bellamy) did so without using the words "under God".
When Cardinal Ratzinger was asked today whether, in light of the scandals, he thought American church leaders should make a public act of penitence, the pope's spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, interjected that sexual abuse involving priests was "not the theme today".
In light of the fact that a mega church is typically a congregational body of over 2,000 members, West Angeles would be considered a mega church on steroids -- a Super Mega Church.
The events at these schools reflects a more particular anger, a sense of powerlessness among many parents and parishioners who feel that the church, especially in light of the sexual abuse scandals of the last two years, should be more considerate, if not downright grateful, for their loyalty.
How do we explain such tragedies in light of the fact that in most churches it is taught that there is a God who is loving and all-powerful?
Women who are called to religious life are understandably more drawn to institutions that afford them equal treatment and allow them to take on leadership roles.In light of the waning appeal of the Catholic church to women religious, is Pope Francis's vague talk about broader opportunities enough?
Archdeacon of Bath, the Venerable Andy Piggott, said: "It would be virtually unheard of for somebody to become a diocesan bishop without having served for some considerable time in some fairly senior job in the light of the church.
These were groundbreaking attempts at rethinking church doctrine in light of the scholarly research about the historical Jesus that had accumulated in previous decades.
In light of the first amendment of the constitution, separating church and state, papal bulls seem untenable as a source of American jurisprudence.
"While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the church's regulations for all Catholic priests.
