ARCHIVED - QR&O: Volume I - Chapter 33 Chaplain Services

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The Volume I Chapter 33: Chaplain Services replaces this content.

33.01 - RELIGIOUS SERVICES

(1) Subject to the exigencies of the service, a commanding officer shall:

  1. provide for the performance of religions services on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation;
  2. in a ship, provide for short prayers to be offered by chaplains after morning divisions;
  3. provide adequate accommodation and facilities for conducting these services;
  4. render the chaplain or officiating clergyman every assistance in the performance of his duties; and
  5. provide the opportunity for a member and his family to attend religions services and to receive any further religions ministrations that they may desire.

(2) An officer or non-commissioned member shall not be required to attend a parade that is primarily devoted to a religions service unless, subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), it is in connection with Remembrance Day ceremonies, Battle of Britain Sunday, Battle of the Atlantic Sunday, a military funeral or a service of a civic or memorial nature.

(3) An officer or non-commissioned member shall not be required to attend a religions service other than a service of the group in which the member's denomination is included. (See article 33.05 - Religious Denominations.)

(4) An officer or non-commissioned member may refrain from attending a religions service because of conscientious objections and shall not be subjected to any form of pressure in connection with such a decision.

(5) Subject to paragraph (3), officers and non-commissioned members under instruction at training centres or a Canadian Military College may, in accordance with orders issued by the Chief of the Defence Staff, be required to attend church parades or religious instruction.

(C)

33.02 - PROVISION OF CHAPLAINS AND CIVILIAN OFFICIATING CLERGYMEN

(1) A civilian officiating clergyman is a clergyman who, subject to meeting the professional prerequisites established by the ecclesiastical authorities and the Chaplains General, shall be employed as a civilian under the authority of the officer commanding a command to provide chaplain services to a base, unit or element. He shall be responsible both to, the commanding officer of the base, unit or element and to the Regular Force chaplains in the chain of command. The ecclesiastical authorities involved are the Committee on Chaplain Service in the Forces of the Canadian Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Military Vicar.

(2) Where a base, unit or element is without a chaplain, the officer commanding a command shall, subject to the exigencies of the service, ensure that:

  1. a chaplain is made available;
  2. a civilian officiating clergyman is provided for not more than three days a week to conduct the religions services and ministrations; or
  3. adequate provision is made for the personnel concerned to attend divine services elsewhere.

(3) Where a base, unit or element is provided with a chaplain and the necessary religious services and ministrations so require, the officer commanding a command may authorize the employment by the day of a civilian officiating clergyman for not more than three days a week.

(4) Where a base, unit or element has an established chaplain position and the necessary religious services and ministrations so require, the officer commanding a command may authorize the employment by the day of a civilian officiating clergyman for a period not exceeding 30 days while:

  1. there is no incumbent; or
  2. the incumbent is unable to act because of temporary duty exceeding five days, illness or leave.

(5) A civilian officiating clergyman provided under this article shall:

  1. as far as practical, be governed by the same provisions as are prescribed for a chaplain; and
  2. receive for his services the pay prescribed in article 210.62 (Employment of Civilian Officiating Clergyman - Fees and Expenses).

(C)


33.03 - RELIGIOUS MINISTRATIONS

(1) A chaplain shall promote the moral and spiritual welfare of all persons at the base, unit or element and shall:

  1. conduct religious, baptismal, marriage and burial services;
  2. arrange for religious ministrations for members or their families who are sick, in service or civil custody or desire such ministrations; and
  3. be prepared to give assistance and instruction on religious subjects to all persons at a base, unit or element.

(2) No chaplain shall be required to perform any duties other than those pertaining to his calling.

(3) A chaplain may accept an invitation to assist at any religious service that does not interfere with his other service duties.

(4) No chaplain shall accept a fee for any service performed in his official service capacity or as part of his duty.

(C)

33.04 - COMMUNICATION WITH SENIOR CHAPLAINS

A chaplain has the privilege of direct communication on strictly ecclesiastical matters with his superiors in the chaplain service.

(C)

33.05 - RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS

(1) An officer or non-commissioned member shall, on enrolment, declare his religious denomination.

(2) An officer or non-commissioned member may, by a statement in writing, change his denomination at any time and the commanding officer shall authorize the necessary alterations in the records of the member.

(3) For service purposes, all denominations shall be grouped as follows:

  1. Protestant, to include
    1. Anglican,
    2. United Church,
    3. Presbyterian,
    4. Baptist,
    5. Lutheran,
    6. Christian Science,
    7. Greek Orthodox,
    8. Salvation Army,
    9. Pentecostal,
    10. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,
    11. New Apostolic Church, and
    12. (xii) other Protestant denominations;
  2. Roman Catholic, to include
    1. Roman Catholic, and
    2. Greek Catholic;
  3. Jewish;
  4. other religions and persuasions; or
  5. no religion.

(4) The commanding officer shall provide:

  1. a nominal roll by denominations of all officers and non-commissioned members on the strength of a base, unit or element for use by the chaplain or officiating clergyman concerned; and
  2. on request, a certificate stating the number of officers and non-commissioned members on the base, unit or element of the denomination served by the officiating clergyman.

(C)

(33.06 TO 33.99 INCLUSIVE: NOT ALLOCATED)

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