Applying the Directives. The Ethical and Religious Directives concerning three medical situations require some elucidation.

Fr. O'Rourkc is director of the (.'enterfor Health Care Ethics, Saint Louis University. T he Ethical and Relijjious Directives for Catholic Health {'are Services (ERD) were approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) in November 1994. The committee that prepared the text for consideration by the NCCB labored For more than five years. Given the many drafts, study sessions, and consultations which preceded the final text, one might think that all doubts had been answered and that the directives would be comparatively easy to understand. True, some directives—for example. Directive 13, which states that hospital patients and nursing home residents should be informed about opportunit ies to receive the sacraments—are essentially self-explanatory. However, experience has demonstrated that other directives need further elucidation if they are to be applied with some degree of moral certitude.