The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People released its Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States on February 27, 2004. The report, commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, addressed the issue of the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests, specifically its “causes and context.” It also addressed the closely related issue of the handling of accusations against accused priests by the church itself and particularly by its bishops. The problem of abuse and cover- ups was not confined to the United States. In March 2010, Pope Benedict XVI signed a pastoral letter about abusive priests in Ireland, and revelations of similar abuse have surfaced in Austria, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and many other countries.