Canada’s military is preparing a new policy that will dictate what its chaplains are allowed to say, or whether they can lead prayer, during military ceremonies.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) banned prayers by chaplains in public settings in 2023, replacing them instead with “spiritual reflections,” but committed to creating a new policy following backlash.
The Epoch Times has learned that the department could be releasing the new policy in the coming days.
Material apparently related to the new policy tells chaplains to avoid “metaphysical references” and to maintain religious neutrality during military ceremonies.
“A policy on spiritual reflections in military settings is currently being developed under the leadership of the policy development team at Military Personnel Command and will be released once the approval process is complete,” public affairs officer Major Jason Rheubottom told The Epoch Times in a statement.
Rheubottom declined to confirm whether the new policy is set to be released in the coming days ahead of Remembrance Day.
An individual knowledgeable about the situation said the new policy could be released in October. The Epoch Times is not identifying the source, who was not authorized to speak about the matter.
Rheubottom also declined to provide an outline of what the new policy will contain. “It would be premature to provide an outline of the policy at this stage,” he said, noting that it is being developed in consultation with various stakeholders. These include the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service, the Interfaith Committee on Canadian Military Chaplaincy, and the Defence Advisory Groups (DAGs). The DAGs are employment equity advisory groups consisting of volunteers who include serving CAF members and Department of National Defence (DND) employees.
The current policy, in force since October 2023, has sparked controversy, as it forbids chaplains from saying prayers during mandated events like Remembrance Day or unit Christmas dinners.
The CAF said in 2023 that the move to prohibit prayer during official functions was meant to respect the neutrality of the state, along with adhesion to diversity and inclusion principles.
The DND told The Epoch Times at the time that under the new policy “chaplains should not use the word ‘God’ or other references to a higher power such as ‘Heavenly Father’” during mandated military ceremonies.
“This is to ensure that all feel included and able to participate in reflection no matter their beliefs,” said DND spokesperson Derek Abma.
Pushback
The Conservatives have accused the government of imposing a “prayer ban” with the policy. Meanwhile, Ottawa said it wasn’t involved in crafting the policy and that chaplains are still allowed to pray. Chaplains are indeed still allowed to pray in voluntary settings, but not in events where troops are mandated to attend, such as Remembrance Day ceremonies.Following backlash, the Chaplain General authorized a return to the previous directive for Remembrance Day in 2023. This directive permitted chaplains to recite a prayer if it is premised with a preamble inviting people of different faiths or of no faith to reflect in the way of their choosing.
For Remembrance Day 2024, chaplains were told that there would be no exception and that the 2023 policy would apply, The Epoch Times reported at the time.
The Chaplain General had also announced the launch of a committee in the fall of 2023 to review the new policy amid consternation in the chaplaincy. As of last year, the committee’s work was still ongoing, according to DND.
DND did not confirm to The Epoch Times whether the committee struck by the Chaplain General in 2023 was involved in framing recommendations for the new policy.
The department also did not authenticate an internal document seen by The Epoch Times that has been recently circulating among military chaplains, who are called “padres” within the ranks. One chaplain, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Epoch Times that the military leadership has been distributing “cheat sheets” related to the new policy.
The document is titled in French, “Spiritual reflections: table explaining the principles.”
“Spiritual reflections in public settings” is the term that was adopted in the 2023 policy to replace the previous policy called “public prayer at military ceremonies.”
Under the principle of “inclusivity, accessibility and respect,” it says the spiritual reflection delivered in public should be welcoming of all people. “Avoid SFT-specific words, actions and symbols, including metaphysical references,” it says. “SFT” refers to Spiritual or Faith Tradition.
Another principle pertains to the necessity for chaplains to use a “neutral tone” during spiritual reflections. “Adopt language without explicit religious connotations to respect the plurality of convictions,” it says. “In the context of military ceremonies, the principle of religious neutrality applies.”
Chaplains in the Canadian military represent different faith traditions, with a first-ever “humanist“ chaplain joining the ranks in 2022. Humanism is an ethical philosophy that says morality is based on human experience and concern for others, not a divine source.
The purpose of military chaplains is to support the morale of the troops, to act as advisers for those seeking counsel, and previously to lead prayer during mandatory military functions.
