EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Email Says Chaplains Leaving Military After New Religious Prayer Prohibitions

A Canadian Armed Forces chaplain conducts a memorial wreath dedication held by members of the United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol at a Titanic memorial service in Halifax on April 15, 2010. The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan

Some military chaplains are leaving the Canadian Armed Forces following a new directive on public prayer, says an internal email sent by a military officer obtained by The Epoch Times. The directive forbids the use of words such as “God” and “Heavenly Father,” which active-duty chaplains say in effect means prayers are forbidden.

The Oct. 19 email was sent by a mid-level officer in personnel management with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to wing commanders and other RCAF senior leaders across the country following the rollout of the new directive on Oct. 11.

In the email, the officer said she had been “informed that the CA is noticing the release of some Chaplains based on this directive.” “CA” is likely an acronym for “Canadian Army.”

“If anyone has noticed a similar trend, please share your findings as it may be worth a discussion,” wrote the officer on Oct. 19.

Prior to Oct. 11, chaplains in the military could be called upon to participate in official events, such as Remembrance Day or mess dinners, and offer a prayer based on the principles of their respective faiths. The prayer had to be “inclusive,” in order for people of other faiths or non-believers to reflect on or contemplate.

The new directive doesn’t say chaplains are allowed to lead prayers, while noting that prayers have been replaced by “spiritual reflection.”

During official ceremonies or events, chaplains are not allowed to say words like “God” or “Heavenly Father,” Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson Derek Abma told The Epoch Times on Oct. 20.

“This is to ensure that all feel included and able to participate in reflection no matter their beliefs,” Mr. Abma said.

Defence Minister Bill Blair has called concerns raised by the Conservative Party about prayer being banned “misinformation.”

“Let’s be very clear: [Canadian Forces] chaplains are not – and will not be – banned from prayer on Remembrance Day, nor at any other time,” he said on Oct. 19.

Three serving chaplains have told The Epoch Times that to their understanding, the restrictions in the new policy in effect mean that prayers are banned during official ceremonies such Remembrance Day and mess dinners. The chaplains spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.

‘New Alternative’

Another internal email obtained by The Epoch Times shows Chaplain General Brigadier General Guy Belisle saying that “traditional” prayer no longer serves the purpose it once did.

The email, which was sent by Brig. Gen. Belisle on Oct. 12, included as an attachment the Oct. 11 directive which he had issued.

The email says there had been a “great deal of reflection” in the Chaplain Service after the Supreme Court issued an opinion in 2015 that dealt with public prayer at city council meetings, and ruled that the state must maintain religious neutrality.

Brig. Gen. Belisle wrote that finding a solution to the issue was “fruitless,” as opposite camps remained fixed in their positions of keeping public prayer as is or abolishing it entirely.

The email says a third option emerged after a working group of CAF members and chaplains of different traditions came together, giving way to a “new alternative that would allow us to be both inclusive but preserve a spiritual flavor that is our own.”

“Public prayer in its traditional form met a need at the time when everyone shared substantially the same faith. This is no longer the case today,” said Brig. Gen. Belisle.

He added that a spiritual reflection should provide “meaningful words” for those who still identify as believers and to those for whom “religious horizon does not make sense.”

The email says the directive has been approved by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre.