Military chaplain

Military chaplain
	A Catholic chaplain celebrating mass in an Austrian military hospital in 1916
Occupation
Names	Chaplain, Rabbi, Purohit, Imam, Priest, Padre (Spanish), Cappellano Militare (Italian), MSWO
Occupation type	Profession
Activity sectors	Religion, morale, religious support
Description
Competencies	Counseling
Fields of; employment	Military
Related jobs	Chaplain assistant

A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.

Although the term chaplain originally had Christian roots,^[1] it is generally used today in military organizations to describe all professionals specially trained to serve any spiritual need, regardless of religious affiliation. In addition to offering pastoral care to individuals and supporting their religious rights and needs, military chaplains may also advise the executive^[which?] on issues of religion, ethics, morale, and morals as affected by religion. They may also liaise with local religious leaders in an effort to understand the role of religion as a factor both in hostility and war and in reconciliation and peace.^[2]

Military chaplains normally represent a specific religion or faith group but work with military personnel of all faiths and none. Some countries, like Australia, the Netherlands, and Belgium,^[3]^[4] also employ humanist or non-faith-based chaplains who offer a non-religious approach to chaplain support. From 1918 to 1942, political commissars in the Soviet Red Army monitored and shaped the beliefs, loyalties, and enthusiasms of Soviet soldiers and officers in a context of official state atheism.^[5]

^ Morgan, Hugh H. "The Etymology of the Word Chaplain". International Pentecostal Holiness Church. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
^ Lampman, Jane (4 March 1999). "Taking faith to the 'new' front lines". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 9 September 2010. In all the hot spots – yet rarely mentioned – military chaplains are some of today's unsung heroes. On the role of chaplains in multinational operations.
^ "Spiritual guidance without all that religion". canada.com. 2 May 2009. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
^ "New chaplaincy branch reflects secular care option". Royal Australian Navy. 11 May 2020.
^ Harari, Yuval Noah (2011). Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (reprint ed.). Random House (published 2014). ISBN 9781448190690. Retrieved 10 October 2020. [...] every unit in the Soviet army had a chaplain, called a commissar, who monitored the piety of soldiers and officers.

[1] Morgan, Hugh H. "The Etymology of the Word Chaplain". International Pentecostal Holiness Church. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2010.

[TakingFaith-2] Lampman, Jane (4 March 1999). "Taking faith to the 'new' front lines". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 9 September 2010. In all the hot spots – yet rarely mentioned – military chaplains are some of today's unsung heroes. On the role of chaplains in multinational operations.

[www2.canada.com-3] "Spiritual guidance without all that religion". canada.com. 2 May 2009. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2013.

[4] "New chaplaincy branch reflects secular care option". Royal Australian Navy. 11 May 2020.

[5] Harari, Yuval Noah (2011). Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (reprint ed.). Random House (published 2014). ISBN 9781448190690. Retrieved 10 October 2020. [...] every unit in the Soviet army had a chaplain, called a commissar, who monitored the piety of soldiers and officers.

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