Military Chaplaincy

Fr. J.J. O’Gorman a hero of the Somme

Ottawa priest among first chaplains at the front line, where he was gravely wounded in his efforts

Quinton Amundson · November 8, 2026

The reams of literature chronicling and contextualizing the Battle of the Somme during the First World War illuminate several overarching themes.

MPs debate chaplain prayer restrictions

Paul Schratz · November 3, 2026

A week before Remembrance Day, opposition MPs are pressing the government to reverse a Defence Department policy restricting military chaplains’ use of faith-specific language at official events.

McCaig urges government to go ‘back to the drawing board’ on military prayer rules

Bishop says government ‘refused’ dialogue

Paul Schratz · August 24, 2026

Canadian military Bishop Scott McCaig says he wants the federal government to go “back to the drawing board” with its new policy on prayer in official settings.

Editorial

Freedom denied

August 22, 2026

Doubtless according to plan, bureaucratic banishment of public prayer by Canada’s military chaplains went virtually unnoticed amid the perpetual media crisis that filters into Canadian summer consciousness.

How Bubble Bureaucrats ban Christian prayer

Joseph Woodard · August 21, 2026

While completing my last term as a citizenship judge in 2018, I got an email from Ottawa with the directive: “Every citizenship ceremony will (now) be opened by a First Nations Elder, offering a Native Spirituality Prayer.”

Descending from ambiguity to incoherence

Moral vision needed

Quinton Peralta-Greenough · August 19, 2026

Despite the calls of several Conservative Members of Parliament, including Andrew Lawton, new military personnel instructions from the current Liberal government are not novel attacks on religious freedom.

Military bishop questions consultation on chaplain prayer policy

Paul Schratz · August 6, 2026

Canada’s Catholic military bishop is questioning how meaningful the consultation was behind a new Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) policy restricting faith-specific prayer at official ceremonies.

Armed forces prayer ban: Spiritual neutrality is void of soul

The Truth suffers

Fr. (Rev. Major Ret’d) Timothy P. V. Nelligan · August 5, 2026

Many have been shocked and dismayed by the new Canadian Forces General Instruction from the Commander of Military Personnel decreeing a “spiritual neutrality” upon all Canadian Armed Forces Chaplains.

Canadian Armed Forces doubles down on prayer ban, faith leaders prepare response

Paul Schratz · August 5, 2026

A new Canadian Armed Forces policy that bars military chaplains from offering faith-specific prayers at official events with mandatory personnel attendance is drawing a response from military faith advisers as well as calls in Ottawa for its reversal.

Editorial

Inclusion once again divides

August 5, 2026

“God etc.” In that two-word nutshell, the current federal government has expressed the fullness of its utter contempt for religious faith and religious believers.