Catholic Hospital Ethics

This is the final Report of the Commission on Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Hospitals - a study commission established by the Catholic Theological Society of America in June, 1971. Publication of the Report, which is not an official position of the CTSA, was accepted by the CTSA Board of Directors on September 1, 1972. This study is not presented as the final word on codes of ethics for Catholic hospitals, but is proposed as a moral theological rationale for understanding the purposes and functions of a set of ethical directives in Catholic hospitals, and as a basis for dialogue, reresearch, and the revision and interpretation of policies. Reactions to the Report are welcomed. As the list at the end of the Report indicates, it is the work of an eminent group of scholars with special insights into medicine and ethics; they in turn consulted others of equal competence in their fields. Since the directives were approved by the bishops in November, 1971, a number of diocesan meetings have been held to discuss the code. As more meetings are convened, the Linacre hopes to keep its readers up-to-date on the resulting dialogue