Read National Catholic Reporter coverage from May 23, 2011, of the case of the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, the priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph who was arrested on child pornography charges.

See a copy of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People that was revised in 2011.

A “circular letter” from the Vatican to all bishops conferences around the world was released May 16, 2011, and presents guidelines for bishops in developing policies on dealing with clergy who molest children. The Vatican also released a summary of the circular letter and a note from American Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the […]

Read a copy of the John Jay College report, titled “The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010.” The report’s analysis received a great deal of criticism from all sides and continues to generate debate. The report also called on the bishops to develop further uniform and transparent […]

How can a religion writer get more religion news stories into the paper or on air? By Michael Paulson The Boston Globe* In my experience, editors are always hungry for good stories about any subject, and religion is no exception. To get more religion stories into the paper, apply the same rigorous reporting and writing […]

Do religion reporters face issues of balance and fairness that are different from other beats? By Kim Sue Lia Perkes Freelance Writer For religion reporters, the issue of balance is often more complicated than other beats because stories that deal with theology are about beliefs and not proven facts. So how does one discern what […]

Read a May 13, 2013 National Catholic Register article about the clergy sex abuse scandals and its effects on the community of clergy men and women.

The Most Rev. Wilton Gregory is Roman Catholic archbishop of Atlanta. He served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2001 to 2004. During his term the bishops developed new policies on clergy sexual abuse. He also has written about the death penalty, physician-assisted suicide and African-American liturgy.

Do editors only want controversial religion stories? By David Gibson The Star-Ledger* Most editors are somewhat schizoid when it comes to religion coverage. They want Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah stories one day. Then the next day they want the embezzling priest nabbed in a sex scandal. Why? Because “crime” stories have a built-in immunity […]