Does the church exonerate itself in it's occasional opposition to unjust states?:
The Church has a tendency to exonerate itself when ever it sees fit on what ever the matter might be.  I don't see where this would be no different.  The idea that the church is NOT flawed and IS the body of Christ is something that it has been trying to hold to the highest degree since its conception.  If it shows flaw.  Misjudgment, mismanagement, what ever the case might be, can it see itself as the body of Christ with all its imperfections?  So to answer the question yes I feel it does exonerate itself.