Remembering the storied history of Canada’s military chaplains

Fr. Lester Mendonsa said he was transformed by his 11 years of experience as a military chaplain for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) from 2008 to 2019.

Richard Bernier was only sworn in as a military chaplain six months ago while Fr. Brad Sweet retired as “padre” on Oct. 19, but the two men share a common approach to their service in the armed forces.

Demotion of God from public ceremonies has officially begun with the Oct. 20 directive that our chaplains can’t use words such as “God,” “Heavenly Father” and “prayer” under the pretext of not wanting to displease a few discontented atheists.

The federal government’s ideological assault on the integrity and traditions of the Canadian Armed Forces chaplaincy is a matter for democratic resolution either by approval (boo! boo!) or, preferably, overturning. 

Canada’s military ordinariate is pleased that the Chaplain General has put a temporary pause on the new Public Reflection Policy that would have prohibited overtly religious language by chaplains at Remembrance Day ceremonies.

A top-level directive ordering military chaplains to be gender-sensitive and include atheists in “spiritual reflections” on Remembrance Day is sparking unexpected emotional backlash, says Bishop Scott McCaig of the Military Ordinariate of Canada.

The best thing to say about a recent report to the minister of national defence from an advisory panel on systemic racism and discrimination in Canada’s military is that it’s not wholly bad.

The national director of UNITED SIKHS Canada has joined Catholics and others who have condemned a report to the Department of National Defence seeking to rid the Canadian Armed Forces of military chaplains whose religious faiths do not openly promote diversity.

OXFORD, England - The Ukrainian government plans to re-establish military chaplaincies in the country's embattled armed forces, nine months after they were abolished under Soviet rule.