Overnight, the image of the hierarchical church would improve. Women's oppression and subjugation, a moral issue the world over, would become more visible on our ethical radar.

As we look beyond this day of rare focus and promises, we need to push our discussions of the religious dimensions of contemporary women's issues beyond the "safe" territory of politically correct language and bland assumptions.

Religious moderation is an antidote to fundamentalism: it encourages faith and inquiry to coexist without assuming that one of them must subordinate or try to eliminate the other.

It has been a rough spring for American nuns. They've been thinking unapproved thoughts and talking out of turn, and the male hierarchy of the church is not happy. And they are doing something about it.

The church is no longer part and parcel of the national political identity anywhere. Not in Poland, in Ireland, not even in Italy. Clearly the church will be forced to deal with the effects of all these things, and more

Sister Joan Chittister, a visionary spiritual voice in our times and an advocate for peace and justice around the world, offers a full and rich perspective on prayer.