Canadian gov't accused of banning chaplain prayers during military events

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the 2023 North American Leaders’ Summit held in Mexico City, Mexico, in January 2023. | Sydney Phoenix /U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Public Domain

Conservatives in Canada have accused the government of banning military chaplains from reciting prayers in accordance with their specific faith during Remembrance Day ceremonies across Canada, an accusation liberals have denied.

On Monday, Canadians observed Remembrance Day to honor veterans, those killed in the line of duty and those currently serving in the military. Similar to Veterans Day in the United States, the day typically consists of ceremonies and public events to commemorate service members.

In the days leading up to the holiday, the Conservative Party of Canada accused the ruling New Democratic and Liberal Party alliance of lying about a directive on public prayer at military ceremonies.

The new policy replaced the word "prayer" with the term "spiritual reflections." It instructs chaplains to use "inclusive" words when delivering a "reflection in a public service setting."

Last year, Minister of National Defence Bill Blair promised in an X post that the government would not ban chaplains from prayer on Remembrance Day or any other time. The Conservative Party of Canada, however, asserts that this was a lie, claiming that the government has not granted any exemptions to the directive this year.

"Chaplains serve a vital role in the Canadian Armed Forces," the Conservative Party of Canada said in its Friday statement. "They represent Canadians of various faiths and support troops from across Canada."

"Before the NDP-Liberal government banned prayers, chaplains were allowed to recite a prayer with faith-specific language during official functions, and made sure to invite those of different beliefs to reflect or pray in whatever way they wished," the statement continued.

"During World War II, chaplains led prayer on the boats on the eve of the D-Day landings. Chaplains have provided last rites to dying soldiers in the field. The Prime Minister is now telling Canadians that, on Remembrance Day, they cannot even pray for those who fought for our country. All Canadians should be alarmed by this latest NDP-Liberal government intrusion."

The political party vowed to fight what it described as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "damaging woke agenda," promising to also "stand up for our armed forces and bring home common sense to Ottawa."

Internal emails from the Canadian Armed Forces obtained by The Epoch Times show that chaplains received a reminder that no exceptions would be granted for Remembrance Day this year.

Following the backlash to the directive in October 2023, Chaplain General Brig.-Gen. Guy Bélisle permitted a one-time use of the previous 2013 policy to allow prayer during Remembrance Day last year. The new policy relates to mandatory military events and cites the "evolution" of Canadian society and the need for diversity as the reason for the change.

"The state must instead remain neutral in this regard, which means that it must neither favour nor hinder any particular belief, and the same holds true for non-belief," the directive states. "The pursuit of the ideal of a free and democratic society requires the state to encourage everyone to participate freely in public life regardless of their beliefs."

According to the new policy, chaplains must adopt a "sensitive and inclusive approach" when publicly addressing members of the military. The directive also calls on chaplains to "employ a language mindful of the Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) principles."

In addition to changing language, the new directive replaced the respective religious symbols on the chaplains' scarves with the logo of the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service. It also warns chaplains about their choice of attire, stating that some symbols may cause "discomfort or traumatic feelings."

Disciplinary actions may occur against chaplains who do not comply with the new policy, according to the directive.

In contrast to conservatives' claims about the directive, members of Canada's liberal party, including Parliamentary Secretary for Defense Marie-France Lalonde, have denied this accusation.

As The National Post reported Saturday, Conservative MP Chris Warkentin referred to the directive as "draconian" during a question period on Friday in the House of Commons. Warkentin also argued that many veterans consider prayer an important part of Remembrance Day.

Lalonde accused Warkentin of misrepresenting the policy, arguing that it does not ban prayer.

“Let’s be absolutely clear. The Chaplain General issued the directive independently, and it does not ban prayer," Lalonde said, as quoted by the news outlet.

"Actually, the directive simply seeks to help our chaplains make their public addresses more inclusive to reflect the spiritual diversity of Canadians and (Armed Forces) members," she said.

Conservative MP Blake Richards, chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, later circulated a letter calling for an emergency committee meeting to discuss the directive. While a committee has been set up by the Canadian government to review the policy, it has yet to make any recommendations.

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman