Military chaplains

[didymus]

I heard a veteran Navy/USMC chaplain on CA Radio this week mention that the Military Archdiocese doesn’t have its own priests, that all chaplains are either diocesan or religious who have to get permission from their bishops or superiors to join the armed services.

First, I wonder how often permission is refused.
Second and more important, why not let the Mi. Arch. recruit their own priests? Fr. Barber stated that he met soldiers who were discerning a call to the priesthood, certainly some men (whether already serving or not) may feel called not just to be priests but chaplains as well.

Last, can the Military Archdiocese influence which branch chaplains join? Fr. Barber said the Army, with 227,000 Catholics has only ~100 priests while the Air Force (don’t know the number but much smaller I’m sure) has almost as many.

 

[P10]

I can’t speak to the American situation. In the Canadian military we have our own Diocesan Bishop, and he has begun recruiting and incardinating priests relatively recently. Up until that point it is true, all priests were just on loan to the military diocese by the good will of other diocesan bishops. that is a difficult situation because there are very few bishops that are willing to let go of a young, energetic priest with great potential. Having our own priests that belong to the Bishop and the military diocese is much better, though with its own challenges. It turns out that we are much better at recruiting and retention of priests and have more, per capita, than civilian dioceses.

 

[Cloisters]

I heard a veteran Navy/USMC chaplain on CA Radio this week mention that the Military Archdiocese doesn’t have its own priests, that all chaplains are either diocesan or religious who have to get permission from their bishops or superiors to join the armed services.

First, I wonder how often permission is refused.
Second and more important, why not let the Mi. Arch. recruit their own priests? Fr. Barber stated that he met soldiers who were discerning a call to the priesthood, certainly some men (whether already serving or not) may feel called not just to be priests but chaplains as well.

Last, can the Military Archdiocese influence which branch chaplains join? Fr. Barber said the Army, with 227,000 Catholics has only ~100 priests while the Air Force (don’t know the number but much smaller I’m sure) has almost as many.

IMHO, I think the Military Archbishop should look in to what the Canadians are doing. There’s nothing like a Chaplain “who’s been there,” if you know what I mean.

Blessings,
Cloisters

 

[Allen537]

I am not sure of the reasoning behind not having it’s own priests, but the Military Archdiocese is certainly in need of priests.

It would be interesting to see the number of denials given by Bishops and Religious Superiors. It takes a great deal of discernment before on can be recruited as a chaplain. Not only must the priest be a good priest, but must also have the desire and the ability to live a military life, which I can tell you from family experience (I am the first one to not go into the military) is a very difficult but rewarding life. Also, the needs of the diocese/order must be considered as well.

I am not sure about the Army’s situation, but my older brother is in the Air Force, and he said that they are hurting for Catholic Chaplains badly.

We should pray for more vocations to the military chaplaincy.

In Carmel,

Br. Allen