The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, often called the ERDs or the Directives, is the document that offers moral guidance, drawn from the Catholic Church's theological and moral teachings, on various aspects of health care delivery. The Directives can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Access the Ethical and Religious Directives
CHA offers a variety of resources to help members of the ministry understand and apply the ERDs through a series of webinars, publications and online resources.
The Ethical and Religious Directives: Annotations by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
This publication incorporates the original text of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services alongside annotations from ethicists throughout the Catholic health care ministry. Annotations include commentary, literature, and links to online articles that can help guide your understanding of this crucial document.
CHA ERD Videos
Orientation (short version)
Orientation (long version)
Ethics Mobile App
- Complete searchable version of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services
- Glossary of ethics terms
- Knowledge base of resources
