I want to add a CSS class to my body tag depending on whether the current page has a breadcrumb trail. So I would rather not add a new block, since I don't need any HTML output, but just a PHP array or boolean in my PHTML file.

I tried $this-&gt;getLayout()-&gt;getBlock('breadcrumbs') without success, because the property of Mage_Page_Block_Html_Breadcrumbs which contains the trail (_crumbs) is protected.

What is the best way to achieve my goal?


Question: The Greatest Commandment - Loving God with all our 1) heart, 2) soul, and 3) strength
Answer: 
  Mark 12:30-31 (KJV) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
  and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
  strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like,
  namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none
  other commandment greater than these.


From here we can see that there are two great commandments namely: loving God and loving thy neighbour.


  Romans 13:9-10 (KJV) For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
  not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
  Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is
  briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy
  neighbour as thyself.


Then according to Paul, loving thy neighbour is obeying the 5 half of the 10 commandments. If so, then when Jesus said to love God in 4 parts with all you heart, soul, mind and strength, what He really meant is obeying the first 4 of the 10 commandments. Because when you think about it, the first 4 commandments refers to God, and Jesus said that the greatest commandment is loving God. 4 parts = 4 commandments = perfect fit

Loving God with all your: 


heart


  Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.


soul


  Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... but rather "worship God in spirit" (John 4:24)


mind


  Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain but rather "study to shew thyself approved unto God" (2 Timothy 2:15) and "renew your minds" (Romans 12:2)


strength


  Exodus 20:8-10 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work


I learned from the Bible through this course:http://thesimpleanswers.com/2011/10/05/you-need-to-sign-up-for-the-free-bible-correspondence-course-by-mail/