Nelligan said he thinks it is all leading towards eventually eliminating the role of the chaplain in the Canadian military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf that continues, all we\u2019ll be doing is glorifying the secular,\u201d he said. \u201cIn an effort to be inclusive, all the government is doing is being markedly exclusive.\u201d — Paul Fromm,<\/strong> Director.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n New directives for military chaplains that tell them to be \u201crespectful of \u2026 spiritual diversity\u201d during public addresses, to employ \u201cGender Based Analysis\u201d and replace religious symbols like crosses and stars of David with a generic chaplain\u2019s crest could spell the death of the role in Canada\u2019s Armed Forces, says one long-serving veteran of the chaplaincy.Article content<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a further trek down the road of trying to eliminate religion altogether in the military,\u201d said Father Timothy Nelligan, who served over 35 years as a Canadian Armed Forces member, two decades of those as a Roman Catholic chaplain.Article content<\/p>\n\n\n\n The director of chaplaincy services for the Royal Canadian Chaplaincy Service has also said it would mean that any mentions of God and religious language should be left out of any public ceremonies at Remembrance Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause it came from the Chaplain General\u2019s office, the thing that hurt me the most was to hear someone, supposedly a person of faith, supporting the removal,\u201d said Nelligan, who served providing spiritual support for Canadian troops in Afghanistan. Now retired from the military, he is pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Ottawa and a priest of the Military Ordinariate of Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The directive, issued earlier this month by Canada\u2019s Office of the Chaplain General<\/a>, urges Canada\u2019s military chaplains to \u201cadopt a sensitive and inclusive approach\u201d during public addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Department of National Defence said in a statement to National Post that the directives should be viewed as \u201cexpanding participation in the reflections of military chaplains,\u201d as opposed to limiting them.Article content<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe deeply value the work of military chaplains to support CAF members \u2014 and we\u2019ll continue to build a diverse, inclusive military that attracts and retains talented people,\u201d the statement read. \u201cOur commitment to diversity, inclusion and the betterment of our chaplaincy program remains steadfast as we strive to create a more inclusive and respectful environment with the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces.\u201dRelated Stories<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new directive bases much of its policy as a reaction to a 2015 Supreme Court of Canada decision<\/a> concerning a Quebec city council\u2019s habit of reciting prayers and crossing themselves before council meetings, which found that government could not \u201cpromote the participation of certain believers or non-believers in public life to the detriment of others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A section in the new directive entitled \u201cPublic Addresses\u201d urges chaplains to be \u201cinclusive\u201d and \u201crespectful of\u2026 religious and spiritual diversity\u201d during public reflections.Article content<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey should employ a language mindful of the Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) principles, incorporate elements in both official languages, and include the use of local languages when appropriate,\u201d the directive read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The directive also does away with the traditional military chaplain stoles, replacing individual symbols of faith with a generic chaplain\u2019s crest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChaplains must consider the potential that some items or symbols may cause discomfort or traumatic feelings when choosing the dress they wear during public occasions,\u201d the directive reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also asks chaplains to cease requesting removal of hats and head coverings, as \u201creflections\u201d are not considered religious ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new directive comes after last year\u2019s report from the defence minister\u2019s systemic racism and discrimination advisory panel<\/a> that recommended Canada cease hiring chaplains from faiths with more traditional beliefs and recommended sweeping changes for the CAF chaplaincy program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Religion, the report states, should be considered a \u201csource of suffering and generational trauma\u201d for some Canadians.Article content<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is especially true for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited members of Canadian society,\u201d the report read in its sixth recommendation, entitled \u201cre-defining chaplaincy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many Canadian military chaplains, the report states, \u201crepresent or are affiliated with organized religions whose beliefs are not synonymous with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Top in the report\u2019s recommendations<\/a> was avoiding hiring chaplains affiliated with \u201creligious groups whose values are not aligned with those of the defence team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to a report last week in the Epoch Times<\/a> that the new directive would ban chaplains from leading public prayers at Remembrance Day ceremonies next month, Defence Minister Bill Blair denied the accusation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCanadian Forces chaplains are not \u2014 and will not be \u2014 banned from prayer on Remembrance Day, nor at any other time,\u201d he posted on X, formerly Twitter<\/a>. \u201cThe Chaplain General\u2019s directive seeks to ensure that public addresses reflect the spiritual and religious diversity of Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The director of chaplaincy services for the Royal Canadian Chaplaincy Service has said however that in public ceremonies the directive urges that there should be no mention of God or religion. Article content<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Poppy](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/nationalpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/20231027JL10326.SU_.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=C6Gp4sKnYVWIULh2UPeg2g\")
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