The Canadian military says it is still assessing the implications of recommendations from an advisory panel that said in a report last year the armed forces chaplaincy needs to be reformed due to religious views not being aligned with the organization’s values.
“The Minister of National Defence has not issued instructions, directives, or analogous decisions with regards to the Chaplaincy, or section 6 of Part III of the Report, because work is currently underway to assess the implications of the Advisory Panel’s recommendations,” the Liberal government says in an Inquiry of Ministry filed in the House of Commons on Jan. 30.
The publication mentioned refers to the “Minister of National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination Final Report – With a focus on Anti-Indigenous and Anti-Black Racism, LGBTQ2+ Prejudice, Gender Bias, and White Supremacy,” which was released in January 2022.
The information from the Department of National Defence (DND) on its processing of the report was tabled in response to questions asked by Conservative MP Scott Reid last December.
Reid sought to know if any briefing material had been produced for senior officials with regards to Section 6 of the report and if DND had taken any actions with regards to the recommendations.
That section on chaplaincy in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) says that “religion can be a source of suffering and generational trauma,” especially for LGBTQ2+ individuals and Indigenous people.
It added that “some chaplains represent or are affiliated with organized religions whose beliefs are not synonymous with those of a diverse and inclusive workplace.”
Most established religions holding traditional views only admit the existence of two sexes and do not favour same-sex marriage.
The report recommended to “not consider for employment as spiritual guides or multi-faith representatives Chaplaincy applicants affiliated with religious groups whose values are not aligned with those of the Defence Team,” saying this would make DND’s message “inconsistent.”
It also recommended that prospective chaplains be screened for “an intrinsic appreciation for diversity and a willingness to challenge one’s beliefs.”
Another recommendation was to broaden the faiths basin and to grant educational equivalencies to “knowledge keepers,” rather than having the requirement for a master’s degree.
DND said in the Inquiry that senior officials had not requested meetings or briefings on Section 6 of the report.
However the organization said that the Office of the Chaplain General had sent a briefing note to the Chief of Defence Staff on May 3, 2022, in response to the publication of the advisory panel’s report.
DND says it offered information from the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service (RCChS) about “actions in recent years to promote change from within, and to strengthen the RCChS’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
The Inquiry says the RCChS has been working harder on diversity and inclusion to better reflect Canadian society, and as such included additional traditions previously not represented in the Chaplaincy.
This led to the enrolment of chaplains from the Sikh and Buddhist religions, says the document.
A new “humanist” chaplain was also added last year and a leader of Indigenous traditional spirituality will soon be complete.
After the publication of the report, the RCChS also removed the requirement to be “ordained” to serve as chaplain and replaced it with the status of “credentialed as a faith tradition leader.”
This has allowed for Roman Catholic and Muslim women to serve within the RCChS.
The document adds that the RCChS has established several new advisor positions to further promote “diversity and inclusion,” such as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQi+, Anti-Racism, Gender, and Conduct and Culture.
Chaplains, who are not allowed to bear arms, tend to the spiritual needs of CAF members, officiate special functions and ceremonies, and can provide advice to leadership on ethical dilemmas.
The office of MP Reid was contacted for comment but we didn’t hear back by publication time.