The Archbishop for the Military Services has criticised the US Army's decision to cancel a swathe of chapel contracts, warning that this “disproportionately harms Catholics” serving in the military.
In a pastoral letter that was also sent to all members of Congress, Archbishop Timothy Broglio addressed the decision of US Army Installation Management Command to cancel all chapel contracts for Coordinators of Religious Education (CRE), for Catholic Pastoral Life Coordinators (CPLC) and for musician contracts in the army, reports the US-based Catholic News Agency (CNA).
He said that by canceling these contracts the military “over-burdens Catholic chaplains, harms chapel communities, and impedes the constitutional guarantee of the free exercise of religion, especially for Catholics”.
He then explained the risk of the disproportionate impact on Catholics, citing a report which details that in the military there are approximately six Protestant chaplains for every 1,000 Protestant soldiers, and approximately one Catholic chaplain for every 1,000 Catholic soldiers.
“The cancellation of chapel contracts may appear to be a neutral elimination of chapel support which itself affects the free exercise of religion for all soldiers,” Archbishop Broglio said.
“However, this action disproportionately harms Catholics: first, because Catholic chaplains are already so low in number yet in such high demand, and second because the Catholic faith requires continuing religious education and sacramental preparation that can only be accomplished through competent support.”
He explained that the contracts for musicians, administrators and religious educators “served the faith communities at military chapels” and have also been essential in assisting Catholic priest chaplains in their duties.
The archbishop added that his archdiocese “has been especially dependent upon the professional skills and theological training of CREs, who under the guidance of the priest, oversee the daily needs of religious education, coordinate catechist certification training for the thousands of men and women who volunteer as catechists, and ensure that proper materials are prepared and procured”.
Photo: Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit stand as Chaplain (Lt.) William D. Devine reads the Gospel during a Mass in the field, Iraq, 20 February 1998 (photo by DOD/Getty)
.jpg)
.jpg)
