Letter to MND and CDS: Support for Chaplaincy

6 July 2022

 

The Honourable Anita Anand, PC, MP
Minister of National Defence
Department of National Defence
101 Colonel By Drive
13th Floor, North Tower
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K2

General Wayne Eyre
Chief of the Defence Staff
Canadian Armed Forces
101 Colonel By Drive
13th Floor, South Tower
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K2

 

Dear Minister Anand and General Eyre,

I am writing with respect to the Canadian Armed Forces Royal Canadian Chaplain Service (RCChS) and what I have heard and experienced during my outreach across the country.

As a neutral, objective reporter on matters related to the DND and CAF and advocate for fairness, I felt it important to relay to you the impacts of certain recommendations of the Report by the National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination. I also wanted to acknowledge the course corrections that the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service (RCChS) have initiated to strengthen its commitment to diversity and inclusion. While the RCChS still has work to do, as the Panel report highlighted, the steps in the right direction must be recognized.

Simply put, the effect on the chaplaincy as described to me has been similar to a “kick in the gut.”

The RCChS began implementing changes through administrative action, directions and guidance, and changes to the RCChS Manual, three years ago. A 2021 report from Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services) also set about additional changes within the RCChS. Both speak to the Panel’s recommendations 6.2 through 6.4.

Another change includes the mandatory signing of the “Acknowledgement of Chaplaincy within the Canadian Armed Forces,” which recognizes the professional and ethical standards and the Chaplain’s duty to care for all, without exception. The Chaplaincy appears to have already started “turning the corner” before the Panel’s report publication.

It is encouraging to see that RCChS leadership is taking the Panel’s recommendations as an impetus to better communicate the changes they have made to both the Defence Community and the Canadian people.

As Ombudsman since November 2018, I have witnessed the work of the chaplaincy first-hand during my outreach activities, in accompanying military families through compassionate status, during deployments, postings and supporting bereaved military families. The resourcefulness of the chaplaincy, sometimes with limited resources, to facilitate and encourage the practice of all faiths, is noteworthy. The recent introduction of Sikh, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Humanist spiritual leaders demonstrates this commitment. I also understand that the RCChS is currently in discussions with Indigenous candidates interested in joining the chaplaincy as spiritual leaders.

Insofar as the chaplaincy not only serves our constituents, but are themselves our constituents, I will continue to monitor the progress of the RCChS on its path towards meaningful change. The support to all members and their families—regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, sex, or gender expression with equality and dignity is paramount. We will maintain our dialogue with RCChS leadership and consult with constituents who engage with the chaplains during their careers. This will not only inform us, but will help identify any issues or challenges that may arise in the future.

Sincerely,

 

Gregory A. Lick
Ombudsman

 

cc: Chaplain General, BGen JLG Belisle